An integrated investigation of the crystalline, rheological and physical properties of corrosion products in cementitious materials

This paper discusses the behaviour of the rheological behaviour of corrosion products (produced in the laboratory) in a high alkaline environment to understand hydraulic-induced fracture by corrosion products in reinforced concrete. A mixture of iron powder, sodium chloride, calcium hydroxide, and water was used to produce corrosion products. The development of corrosion products was studied at 2, 4, 6, and 8-week intervals. Imaging techniques, along with rheological characterization methods, were conducted to understand the viscoelastic flow behaviour of corrosion products. The results show that corrosion products exhibited different rheologic properties throughout the corrosion process. Three iron oxide phases (Magnetite, Goethite, and Lepidocrocite) were detected throughout the initiation and propagation stages of corrosion in the laboratory. The corrosion products obtained for each study period behaved as colloidal materials, demonstrating all the characteristics of shear-thinning materials. As a result of chemical and particle disintegration, the viscosity of corrosion products decreased with the applied shear rate. In addition, the experimental data showed that the density and particle size of corrosion products decreased with time. These results can be used to understand the progress of corrosion's damage in reinforced concrete.