Polyester polymer concrete: Effect of the marble particle sizes and high gamma radiation doses

Polymer concrete (PC) has several advantages when comparing with Portland Cement Concrete (PCC), but its brittle failure characteristics have limited its usefulness for load-bearing applications. Thus, improvements are necessary for specific applications, particularly on the PC components: polymeric resin and mineral aggregates. One alternative is use gamma radiation. In this work, the effects of gamma radiation and the marble particle sizes on compressive properties of polymer concretes (PCs) were studied. The results show the compressive strain and the elasticity modulus depend on the combination of the marble particle sizes and the applied radiation dose. The combination of medium and large particle sizes provides the highest elasticity modulus. Moreover, high radiation doses provoke higher numbers of dispersed particles per unit volume which provide more resistance to crack propagation.

► Polymer concrete with marble particles and unsaturated polyester resin was elaborated.
► The effects of gamma radiation and the marble particle size on compressive properties were studied.
► We show that the compressive strain and the elasticity modulus are higher than plain concrete.
► The combination of medium and large particle sizes provides the highest elasticity modulus.