The Effect of Biocontamination on Mechanical Strength and Moisture Transfer Performance of Epoxy Basalt Fiber
Anatoly K Kychkin1, Oleg V Startsev1,2, Mikhail P Lebedev2
1Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences V.P. Larionov Institute of Physical and Technical Problems of the North, 1 Oktyabrskaya Street, Yakutsk 677980, Russia.
Abstract:
This study involved the exposure of epoxy-coated basalt-plastic rebars, with diameters of 6 and 8 mm, to the open climate conditions of Yakutsk and Tiksi, located in the Arctic region of Russia. The exposure duration was 54 months. Basalt-plastic rebars were tested both untreated and after contamination with a set of neutral microorganisms resilient to cold climates, including spore-forming bacteria from the genus Bacillus, and mold fungi from the genera Aspergillus. Results showed that after 12, 24, and 54 months of exposure, the tensile strength and modulus of elasticity of untreated rebars increased by 5-14% due to the post-curing of the epoxy matrix. However, in biologically contaminated rebars, these indicators decreased on average by 11%. Bacterial cells and fungal mycelium, which penetrated surface irregularities of the rebars under open climate conditions, contributed to microcrack development, reducing the mechanical properties of the basalt-plastic rebars and causing additional moisture diffusion in the radial direction of the bars.
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