Developing a polymer-based crack repairing material using interpenetrate polymer network (IPN) technology

• We develop a repairing material for concrete cracks using IPN technology.
• The material can inherit and integrate desired properties from its components.
• The material’s properties are adjustable to accommodate different requirements.
• The material has great potential for crack repair of various concrete structures.

Crack repairing is considered a cost-effective method in the repair and rehabilitation work for concrete, provided that right repairing materials are selected and properly applied. This paper proposes a polymer-based crack repairing material named EMP by synthesizing epoxy acrylate (EA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and polyurethane (PU) prepolymer utilizing interpenetrate polymer network (IPN) technology. The physical and mechanical properties of EMP were evaluated through a series of experiments, and the bonding behavior of the material for the crack repairing of concrete structure was also evaluated with composite specimens. The findings from the study demonstrate the repairing material has great potential for repairing concrete cracks with desirable operability, adhesive strength and cracking resistance, and its properties could be adjusted within a certain range through various mix proportions to accommodate different requirements for applications.