Corrosion behavior of steel reinforcement embedded in cement mortar with surface treatment

The surface of cement mortar was treated with an impregnating agent named alkyl-alkoxyl silane (AAS) and a super-absorbent resin (SAR) synthesized in situ, respectively. The corrosion risk and the current density of steel reinforcement in the treated cement mortar immersed at sodium chloride solution of 3.5% were evaluated by corrosion potential monitoring and linear polarization resistance (LPR) techniques. The results show that the water-repellent layer of the AAS and the swelling hydrogel of the SAR as a protective layer can improve the resistance to the chloride permeability of the cement mortar; the corrosion potential of the treated specimens is higher and the corrosion current density is lower, compared to that of the untreated specimens. The AAS and the SAR synthesized in situ as surface treatment materials can retard the corrosion behavior of reinforcing steel in cement mortar.