Use of waste polystyrene for protective coating of concrete floors.
Abstract
Increased demands are placed on the floors of industrial buildings in terms of resistance to mechanical stress.
Concrete, which is most often used for the manufacture of highly loaded floors of industrial buildings and structures, has many positive qualities: high wear resistance, low cost, simplicity and speed of installation. But concrete also has some negative qualities associated with its low tensile strength and porosity.
To strengthen the concrete floor and eliminate the possibility of dust formation, such technologies as impregnation with reinforcing compounds are used.
The authors of the article propose to use waste polystyrene dissolved in toluene as a protective, hydrophobic and reinforcing coating for floors of industrial premises.
Polystyrene dissolves easily in toluene. A solution is formed in the form of a clear liquid with a certain viscosity. With the help of special devices, the resulting solution can be applied to the surface of concrete floors. Mechanical application of the finished solution is carried out using airless spraying devices.
The coating provides bonding of the existing dust particles on the floor surface with a strong polymer film. The polymer penetrates into the pores of concrete to a depth of 1 to 3 mm, depending on the porosity of the concrete. The concrete structure becomes denser and stronger, and the surface becomes waterproof.
After impregnation with a composition based on polystyrene, the performance properties of concrete floors increase, and the top layer of the concrete floor is strengthened and hardened. Floors emit less dust, become chemically resistant, and abrasion resistance increases. Such floors have an aesthetic appearance, are easy to maintain and can be easily repaired. The use of polystyrene waste significantly reduces the cost of work in comparison with prefabricated impregnations. The floors can be used 2 hours after impregnation, which makes it possible to use this composition in existing enterprises.
