Utilization plasters with superabsorbent admixture to moderate moisture level in constructions

Department of Materials Engineering and Chemistry, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Thákurova 7, Prague 6, 160 00, Czech Republic

^* Corresponding author: jan.fort@fsv.cvut.cz

Abstract

The level of indoor humidity has to meet several criteria according to the preservation of a healthy indoor climate for building inhabitants. On top of that, the undesired moisture content is associated with a proliferation of various organisms which results in an adverse effect on the durability of building materials. Facing the impact of climate change and excessive energy consumption associated with building maintenance, the employment of passive moderation techniques takes place to avoid the usage of energy-demanding HVAC devices. The application of advanced materials such as superabsorbent polymers (SAPs), commonly used in diapers or other hygiene products, can bring a very effective solution for this issue overcoming. In this paper, the effect of 0.5; 0.1 and 1.5 wt.% dosages of SAPs incorporated into a cement-lime plaster are studied to evaluate the material performance in the sense of moisture moderation. First, the basic material properties, moisture transport and storage properties, thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity are determined to access the influence of SAP admixtures on the functional performance of studied plasters. Consequently, the experimentally accessed results are further employed for the computational modeling analysis which evaluates the capability of studied plasters for the moderation of moisture content in constructions.