The right mix of hydrogen bonds in polymer and cement composites is critical to making strong, tough and ductile infrastructure material, according to Rice University scientists who want to mimic the mechanics of mother-of-pearl and similar natural composites with synthetic materials. Seashells made of mother-of-pearl, aka nacre, get their remarkable properties from overlapping micron-sized, mineralized plates held together by a soft matrix.
This structure can be approached by cement and polymer composites that may, for instance, make better earthquake-resistant concrete, according to Rouzbeh Shahsavari, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering. The Rice lab ran more than 20 computer simulations of how polymers and cement molecules come together at the nanoscale and what drives their adhesion. The researchers showed that the proximity of oxygen and hydrogen atoms is the critical factor in forming a network of weak hydrogen bonds that connects soft and hard layers. Common polyacrylic acid (PAA) proved best at binding the overlapping layers of cement crystals with an optimal overlap of about 15 nanometers.
Read more: Weak hydrogen bonds key to strong, tough infrastructure
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