Improvement of concrete durability using nanocomposite coating prepared by mixing epoxy coating with Submicron/Nano-carbon obtained from heavy fuel oil ash

The paper presents the effectiveness of epoxy resin coatings modified with heavy fuel oil ash (HFOA) submicron/nano (S/N) carbon particles in enhancing concrete durability. HFOA, a waste material generated from the combustion of heavy fuel oil in power plants, was pyrolyzed and ball- milled for the preparation of S/N carbon particles, which were mixed with neat epoxy at different weight percentages for developing composite coating. Performance of S/N carbon was evaluated against chloride, acidic and sulfate exposures. Adhesion of the coatings to concrete substrate was also evaluated using the pull-off strength test. The experimental data demonstrated that the performance of composite coating with 1% of S/N carbon was the best in resisting the chloride ions penetration, acid and sulfate attacks, and for increasing the bond strength. The uniformly distributed S/N carbon functioned as a barrier to the passage of moisture/aggressive species reaching the concrete surface, thereby enhancing the concrete durability.