Application of Crumb Rubber in Cement-Matrix Composite

Many studies have used rubber as an additive to form a cement-matrix composite (rubcrete). However, rubcrete has a lower mechanical strength than standard concrete. To improve the properties of rubcrete, this study performed surface modifications on crumb rubber through a partial oxidization reaction. The optimal ratio of air to nitrogen was determined by experiments to be 1:4. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to identify the functional groups on the surface of the crumb rubber. A colloidal probe of calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) was prepared, and the intermolecular interactions between the rubber and the C–S–H were measured using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The experimental results showed that the partially oxidized crumb rubber contained more hydrophilic S–O bonds. The intermolecular force between C–S–H and treated rubber increased by 23% compared to the force between the original rubber and C–S–H. The compressive strength of the hardened cement paste (56 days) with the treated crumb rubber increased 50% in comparison with that of the hardened cement paste with the as-received crumb rubber.