Natural Hydrophobic Coating: Application of Agricultural Waste for Re-engineering (AWARE)

Abstract

Concrete is a hard, dense, and porous substance. It is particularly vulnerable to deterioration and damage from chemical and water intrusion. The purpose of this study was to determine the use of sugarcane bagasse and rice husk ashes to produce a natural hydrophobic coating over concrete. The sugarcane bagasse and rice husk waste ashes were disseminated in an ethanol/stearic solution to create the hydrophobic coating. Solution 2 with 3g rice husk ash, 2g sugarcane bagasse ash, and 50 ml ethanol/stearic solution showed the highest water contact angles of 117.818° and 110.005°. The Capillary Water Absorption Test showed that specimens coated with solution 2 experienced an average weight gain of 1.63%, much less than specimens coated with solution 1 and 3, which were 2.08% and 4.22%, respectively. Water uptake was decreased by as much as 68.52%. This natural hydrophobic coating material is promising in the construction field.