Recommended method for measurement of absorbency of superabsorbent polymers in cement-based materials

The application of superabsorbent polymers in concrete technology is now becoming a reality in several places in the world. Independently of the specific technical application involving any of the hydrogels, the design of cement-based materials requires that the knowledge on the absorbency of superabsorbent polymers in cementitious environments is well determined.

It is vital that a generalized agreement over which method should be utilized with this regard is obtained, so large-scale industrial applications can be developed with sufficient quality and safeguards. There ought to be a standard method so that the properties of concrete with superabsorbent polymers can be better controlled in practice.

In this paper, a technique that can be potentially used as a standard method is developed. The method is based on a measurement technique validated through an international standard procedure—laser diffraction particle size analysis, and it allows an easy and reliable measurement of the absorbency of superabsorbent polymers.

It is shown in detail how both the definition of the exposure liquid and the definition of the system of SAP particles can be selected so that absorbency can be experimentally obtained.It is suggested that this method can be recommended as a standard method for measuring liquid absorption of superabsorbent polymers in cementitious environments.