The Applicat ion of Super Absorbent Polymer in Self-Healing Morta r: The Effect on Mechanical Properties

Abstract

Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) were used in various application, including in mortar production. The ability of SAP to absorb a high amount of water made this material become a promising water reservoir in the mortar that can later mitigate micro-cracks in concrete. Besides SAP, a nutrient must be embedded into self-healing mortar to support metabolism in bacteria-based self-healing mortar. However, adding SAP and nutrient was reported to decrease the mechanical properties of the resulting self-healing mortar. Thus, in this research, the modification in the mix design of mortar containing SAP and nutrient were observed. The water to cement ratio was decreased up to 0.3. The amount of SAP and entrained water added is based on its swelling capacity. The swelling capacity of SAP, the workability of fresh mortar, and the compressive strength of mortar were examined. The results show that the swelling capacity of SAP was affected by the pH and the presence of calcium ions in the solution. The higher the pH and the calcium ion in the solution, the lower SAP’s swelling capacity. Applying the modified mortar mix design containing SAP and nutrient proofed to mitigate the reduction in workability and compressive strength of the resulting self-healing mortar.