Abstract
A calcium oxalate-mineralized film was synthesized in situ on the surface of Portland-cement-based material, aimed at protecting the concrete against water penetration and to facilitate crack repair. Microanalysis results show that the homogeneously dense film was highly compatible with the cement paste, and its thickness increased with the increasing oxalic acid concentration. Additionally, the results demonstrate the film's high efficacy in water penetration of cement-based materials due to the improvement in its hydrophobicity. In addition, the formed calcium oxalate monohydrate can repair cracks in concrete. This would be a simple and effective method to improve durability of concrete structures.
Acknowledgment
They thank LetPub (www.letpub.com) for its linguistic assistance during the preparation of this manuscript.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.