Hydrophobic and water-resisting behavior of Portland cement incorporated by oleic acid modified fly ash

The water-repellent and anti-permeability properties of cement are crucial for the durability and safety of concrete structures. In this work, we prepared a hydrophobic Portland cement by using oleic acid as a modifier for fly ash and examined the properties of the cement paste samples. Fly ash was firstly reacted with oleic acid by the dry milling method, and the modified fly ash was used to prepare the hydrophobic Portland cement. The IR spectra confirmed that the surface of fly ash was successfully capped with oleic acid, and carboxylic acid moieties were bonded with ≡SiOH and neutralized. The TG-DSC results showed that the amount of oleic acid loaded on the fly ash beads was 7.21 wt%. Fly ash dispersed evenly in the prepared cement paste samples and the distance between beads ranged in 2–10 μm. The water contact angle of the cement paste samples increased with rising content of modified fly ash, which demonstrated good water-repellent behavior. Different cement sections showed similar water-repellent behavior, which proved that the inner structure of the cement was also hydrophobic. Using the fly ash modified with oleic acid significantly decreased the water uptake and gas permeability of the prepared cement paste samples. The hydrophobic cement sample was optimal when the content of the modified fly ash in the cement was 12 wt% and after the cement was cured for 28 days.