Effect of Xanthan gum Additive on Mechanical, durability properties of concrete

Today, the use of powdered materials and chemical additives to improve the mechanical, durability, and rheological properties of a variety of concretes is rapidly expanding. The use of naphthalene, polycarboxylate and melamine-based lubricating and thickening agents is one of the effective strategies to control the instability of concrete. One of the foundations of the new lubricant is the xanthan gum biopolymer. The substance synthesized from the vegetable gum has a high viscosity that is widely used in various industries. After observing the lubricating type, high consistency, and appropriate price of this material, we decided to observe its effect on concrete. In this research, 16 mixing schemes containing Pozzolan Microsilica with 10 wt% cement and different grades were investigated. A 0.25 wt% lubricant and xanthan gum additive were added to the concrete cube samples. The results show that the xanthan gum additive reduces slump and separation and increases compressive strength, due to the increased viscosity. A bonding between concrete materials and decreased pores and porosity would reduce the capillary coefficient and increase electrical resistance of the concrete. Microstructural studies of concrete, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) experiments, showed that the permeability is reduced and structural bonds of concrete adhesive are strengthened, due to the use of xanthan gum, and as a result, the samples containing xanthan gum have less porosity than samples lacking xanthan gum.