Effects and Mechanism of Internally Incorporated Calcium Stearate Emulsion on Properties of Concrete

doi:10.16552/j.cnki.issn1001-1625.2026.0182

Abstract

Abstract:

To systematically investigate the influence law and mechanism of internally incorporated calcium stearate emulsion on the properties of concrete， concrete specimens with water-cement ratios of 0.4 and 0.5 and effective calcium stearate emulsion dosages of 0%， 0.5%， 1.0%， and 2.0% （mass fraction） were prepared. Comprehensive tests were conducted on workability， mechanical strength， pore structure and microstructure， hydrophobicity， self-cleaning ability， photostability， and resistance to chloride ion penetration. The results show that calcium stearate emulsion can improve the workability of concrete and increase the surface contact angle of specimens from approximately 60° to 120°， but it inhibits the hydration reaction of cement， leading to a decrease in the compactness of concrete structure， thereby affecting the strength development at various ages. The concrete surface modified by calcium stearate exhibits good self-cleaning effects on hydrophilic dust， hydrophobic graphite powder， and oily contaminants. When the calcium stearate dosage is not higher than 1.0%， the capillary water absorption capacity and chloride ion penetration degree of concrete are significantly reduced； when the dosage is increased to 2.0%， the impermeability performance of concrete reverses due to the deterioration of pore structure， and even becomes inferior to that of the control group. After 180 d of simulated photo-aging， the contact angle decreases by less than 1°， and the hydrophobic performance remains relatively stable.

Key words: concrete, hydrophobic modification, calcium stearate, contact angle, stain resistance, durability

CLC Number:

TU528

ZHANG Xiang, WANG Yufeng, LEI Zhen. Effects and Mechanism of Internally Incorporated Calcium Stearate Emulsion on Properties of Concrete[J]. BULLETIN OF THE CHINESE CERAMIC SOCIETY, 2026, 45(8): 2650-2663.

Figures/Tables 16

Table 1 Parameters related to cement

Indicator	Initial setting time/min	Final setting time/min	3 d flexural strength/MPa	28 d flexural strength/MPa	3 d compressive strength/MPa	28 d compressive strength/MPa
Value	242	307	5.7	7.8	27.2	48.3

Table 2 Relevant parameters of aqueous calcium stearate emulsion

Appearance

Chemical formula

Solid mass fraction/%

Viscosity/（mPa·s）

pH value

（2% aqueous solution）

Density/（g·cm^-3）

Delicate white emulsion

Ca（C₁₇H₃₅COO）₂

Table 3 Concrete specimen mix proportion

Specimen	Mix proportion/（kg·m^-3）				Water-cement ratio	Ca（C₁₇H₃₅COO）₂content/%
Specimen	Cement	Water	Sand	Gravel	Water-cement ratio	Ca（C₁₇H₃₅COO）₂content/%
H4A	309	123.6	439	782	0.4	0
H4B	309	123.6	439	782	0.4	0.5
H4C	309	123.6	439	782	0.4	1.0
H4D	309	123.6	439	782	0.4	2.0
H5A	309	155.0	550	819	0.5	0
H5B	309	155.0	550	819	0.5	0.5
H5C	309	155.0	550	819	0.5	1.0
H5D	309	155.0	550	819	0.5	2.0

Fig.1 Experimental flowchart

Fig.2 Concrete mixture slump and spread tests

Fig.3 Compressive strength test results

Fig.4 Cumulative pore size distribution curves

Fig.5 SEM images of hardened cement paste at 28 d under different calcium stearate dosages

Fig.6 Hydrophobic effect on concrete specimen surfaces （water droplet morphology on external and cut surfaces） with different calcium stearate content

Fig.7 Variation of surface contact angle of concrete specimens with different calcium stearate content

Fig.8 Effect of stearic acid on capillary water absorption of cement-based materials

Fig.9 Capillary water absorption of modified concrete

Fig.10 Test results of stain resistance performance on external and cut surfaces of concrete specimens considering different pollutants （chalk dust， sweet and spicy sauce， graphite powder）（taking specimens H4A and H4D as examples）

Fig.11 Surface state of specimens before and after photostability test

Fig.12 Chloride ion content at various depths in calcium stearate modified concrete after 30 d erosion

Fig.13 Chloride ion content at 2 and 10 mm depths in calcium stearate modified concrete after 30， 60， and 90 d erosion

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