Evaluation of the Setting Shrinkage of MMA Polymer Concrete

Abstract

This paper discusses the mechanism of the setting shrinkage of polymer concrete with liquid resin mainly composed of methyl methacrylate (MMA-PC) and reports the study results on the method for reducing the setting shrinkage. The setting shrinkage is classified into two large categories, that is, shrinkage due to polymerization and shrinkage caused by temperature decrease after the maximum temperature is reached. The shrinkage amount due to temperature decrease is in proportion to the liquid resin content. The authors demonstrated that the shrinkage due to polymerization significantly varies with the formation state of matrix of liquid resin with filler. For reducing the shrinkage, it is effective to confine the shrinking strain by adding fibers and modifying the filler properties to limit the volume change due to polymerization.