Characterization of the Chemical Resistance of Two Non-Vulcanized Styrene-Butadiene Rubbers (SBR)

The objective of this series of tests is to characterize the alkali and water resistance of two non-vulcanized formulations based on co-polymerizing styrene-butadiene rubbers (SBR1 and SBR2). The relative merits of the two polymer systems as impregnating agents for alkali-resistant glass reinforcement in cementitious binders are assessed. For this purpose, polymer films were synthesized and then chemically conditioned for up to half a year at temperatures of 23 °C and 50 °C in sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide solutions as well as in salt and distilled water. Changes in mass, tensile strength, and material hardness were evaluated to assess the chemical resistance of the two polymer systems. The different test liquids generally led to swelling (increase in mass) and degradation (reduction in mass) of the polymer structures. These two processes occurred simultaneously. The liquid absorption capacity of the SBR1 impregnation system was between 25.05% and 51.60% by weight, depending on the test liquids. In contrast, the SBR2 impregnation system exhibited a lower liquid absorption capacity, with a weight increase from 21.19% to 42.90%. The chemical conditioning resulted in a maximum mass reduction of the polymer structure SBR1 of 8.82% by weight. The polymer SBR2, on the other hand, only lost up to 2.88% by weight. The tensile strengths of the unconditioned samples of the polymer systems SBR1 and SBR2 were 55.49 ± 7.47 N and 80.87 ± 15.96 N, respectively. The test liquids caused a reduction in strength over the storage period which was accelerated by increased temperatures. The loss of strength of the polymer structure SBR2 was lower over the entire conditioning period. In this context, a correlation was found between strength and material hardness. Overall, the polymeric impregnation system SBR2 had a lower liquid absorption capacity and a lower degree of damage caused by the degrading test liquids. Furthermore, the tensile strength was generally higher and more robust over the entire conditioning period. The results of the durability tests indicate that the SBR2 polymer system is more suitable for use in cementitious binders, as it exhibits less degradation of the polymer structure in response to chemical aging processes.