Influence of Superabsorbent Polymers on Moisture Control in Building Interiors

Abstract

Moisture loads in building interiors are accompanied by a deterioration of the indoor air quality. Such a phenomenon may induce serious health risks for building inhabitants as well as degradation of furnishing. Unfortunately, the employment of additional heat, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) devices does not comply with the sustainability principle due to increased energy consumption, thus cannot be viewed as an efficient solution. This study deals with the use of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) in cement-lime plasters, thus extends the current state of knowledge and outlines further possible development of novel moisture responsive plasters since lightweight aggregates do not provide the desired performance. To be specific, this paper contemplates the experimental analysis of novel plasters modified by 0.5, 1 and 1.5 wt. % of SAP to obtain input parameters for computational modeling. Based on the obtained outputs, the incorporation of SAP admixture resulted in a substantial increase in moisture transport properties including the water absorption coefficient and water vapor diffusion properties. The performed computational modeling revealed a considerable reduction of relative humidity fluctuations, thus mitigation of potential health issues associated with undesired moisture content in building interiors. Achieved results indicate that the SAP enhanced plasters have substantial passive moisture buffering performance and thus may contribute to the improvement of indoor air quality.

Combined Effect of Superabsorbent Polymers and Cellulose Fibers on Functional Performance of Plasters

“…Hydrated lime CL 90-S (Mokrá Plant, Carmeuse Czech Republic) was applied together with cement CEM I 32.5 R (Cemex, Czech Republic) as base binders for the designed plasters. Particular plaster mixtures were derived from previous experiments aimed at the investigation of the effect of SAP admixture only [23]. The cellulose fibers were applied in 1, 2, and 3% dosages and compared to reference mixture and plaster without SAP admixture.…”

“…In this regard, the application of sodium olefine-sulphonate and superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) achieved very beneficial results in terms of shifting the moisture buffering value [21,22]. The work of Fořt et al [23] exhibited the great potential of SAPs in the mitigation of humidity peaks during diurnal loading. As revealed, even relatively small dosages of SAPs provide substantial improvements in moisture buffering performance thanks to their great swelling capabilities [24].…”

Characterization of Responsive Plasters for Passive Moisture and Temperature Control

“…As a base material for PCM and SAP incorporation, a commercially available cement-lime plaster Weber MV1 composed of cement, lime, and sand in a 1:1:5 ratio was used. While the effect of individual admixtures was described in previous publications, the mutual interaction of both SAP and PCM admixtures has not been elaborated yet [15,[37][38][39]. In this sense, the previously developed form-stable PCM based on a diatomite/dodecanol composite with pozzolanic activity was used as a latent heat storage medium [39].…”

“…While the effect of individual admixtures was described in previous publications, the mutual interaction of both SAP and PCM admixtures has not been elaborated yet [15,[37][38][39]. In this sense, the previously developed form-stable PCM based on a diatomite/dodecanol composite with pozzolanic activity was used as a latent heat storage medium [39]. The phase change intervals of the used PCM are shown in Figure 1.…”

Effects of Secondary Porosity on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of SAP-Containing Lime-Based Plasters

“…Specifically, SAPs are very interesting as a concrete admixture due to their capability to reduce the autogenous shrinkage, improve the freeze–thaw resistance, and promote the self-healing and self-sealing of cracks [ 4 , 5 ]. Apart from the utilization in high-performance concrete types, their potential lies also in moderation of indoor relative humidity levels secured by the large water retaining capacity, in other words, for modification of interior plasters [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ] in order to achieve optimal interior conditions in terms of relative humidity. The incorporation of SAPs also has an eminent effect on the material microstructure.…”