Physical And Mechanical Properties Of Lightweight Polymer Concrete With Epoxy Resin

Polymer concrete consists of polymer, hardener, and aggregate binders. The interaction between these materials depends on their physical characteristics and chemical reactions. However, it involves the use of epoxy and acrylic polymer instead of pure Portland cement. In other to conduct this research, the material used consisted of fine aggregates, epoxy resin, and foam. Furthermore, 4 ratios of fine aggregate to the epoxy resin used include 1:3, 1:2.75, 1:2.5, and 1:2 of the weight of the volume of the test object while the 3 ratios of foaming agent and water used include 1:30, 1:40, and 1:50 with 50% foam of the mixed volume. Moreover, the specimen was treated at an oven temperature of 60°C for 24 hours. From the experiment conducted, the most optimum diameter of the concrete mixture was found in LPC-1:3-1:50 of 25.28 cm while an increase in the speed of the initial and final bond time were found to be 60 and 120 minutes respectively in the mixture of LPC-1:2-1:30. In addition, the most optimum concrete pressure was found in LPC-1:2.75-1:30 to be 23.57 MPa with a specific gravity of 1,773.76 kg/m3. The microstructure test conducted showed the greater foaming agent ratio and water has the ability to produce very large pores and non-dense polymers while smaller ones produce very small pores and increasingly dense polymer matrix. Therefore, it can be concluded that a smaller mixture ratio of foaming agent and water produces light polymer concrete with better characteristics.