The Effect of Nopal Mucilage Addition on the Corrosion Rate of Reinforcement Steel in Concrete

Environmental humidity is a determining factor in the degradation of concrete structures, particularly in the corrosion process of reinforcement bars. This study analyzed four concrete mixtures with different mucilage contents replacing mixing water: 0, 5, 10, and 15%. Two sets of specimens were fab...

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Main Authors: Enrique Martínez-Barrios, UIises Páramo-García, Edgardo Jonathan Suárez-Domínguez, Josué Francisco Pérez-Sánchez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Surfaces
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9637/8/2/26
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author Enrique Martínez-Barrios
UIises Páramo-García
Edgardo Jonathan Suárez-Domínguez
Josué Francisco Pérez-Sánchez
author_facet Enrique Martínez-Barrios
UIises Páramo-García
Edgardo Jonathan Suárez-Domínguez
Josué Francisco Pérez-Sánchez
author_sort Enrique Martínez-Barrios
collection DOAJ
description Environmental humidity is a determining factor in the degradation of concrete structures, particularly in the corrosion process of reinforcement bars. This study analyzed four concrete mixtures with different mucilage contents replacing mixing water: 0, 5, 10, and 15%. Two sets of specimens were fabricated and subjected to a 420-day test period under two different working conditions: natural environmental conditions and high-humidity conditions. Open-circuit potential parameters were analyzed to compare the behavior of the mixtures and determine the corrosion rate. It was observed that under environmental conditions, the mixtures with 0% and 15% mucilage exhibited higher corrosion rates, with values of 0.046 and 0.049 mm/year, respectively, compared to the mixtures with low mucilage additions of 5% and 10%, which showed values of 0.041 and 0.038 mm/year, respectively. The corrosion rates of the mixtures under high-humidity conditions were 0.010 for M0, 0.009 for M1 and M2, and 0.014 for M3. The results indicate that mixtures with 5% and 10% mucilage show better corrosion protection, suggesting that this approach could be a sustainable, low-cost solution to enhance the durability of concrete structures, particularly in coastal areas with high humidity levels. It is concluded that adding nopal mucilage in low concentrations as a substitute for mixing water in concrete formulations not only modifies the properties of concrete, but also reduces the corrosion rate of reinforcement steel under high-humidity conditions, thereby extending the service life of constructions.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2571-9637
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spelling doaj-art-6d987556e4ff45dcb6c2197fc7a5abbd2025-08-20T03:29:39ZengMDPI AGSurfaces2571-96372025-04-01822610.3390/surfaces8020026The Effect of Nopal Mucilage Addition on the Corrosion Rate of Reinforcement Steel in ConcreteEnrique Martínez-Barrios0UIises Páramo-García1Edgardo Jonathan Suárez-Domínguez2Josué Francisco Pérez-Sánchez3Tecnológico Nacional de México/I. T. Cd. Madero, Centro de Investigación en Petroquímica, Prol. Bahía de Aldahir y Av. De las Bahías, Parque de la Pequeña y Mediana Industria, Altamira 89600, Tamaulipas, MexicoTecnológico Nacional de México/I. T. Cd. Madero, Centro de Investigación en Petroquímica, Prol. Bahía de Aldahir y Av. De las Bahías, Parque de la Pequeña y Mediana Industria, Altamira 89600, Tamaulipas, MexicoFacultad de Arquitectura, Diseño y Urbanismo, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Centro Universitario Sur, Tampico 89336, Tamaulipas, MexicoFacultad de Arquitectura, Diseño y Urbanismo, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Centro Universitario Sur, Tampico 89336, Tamaulipas, MexicoEnvironmental humidity is a determining factor in the degradation of concrete structures, particularly in the corrosion process of reinforcement bars. This study analyzed four concrete mixtures with different mucilage contents replacing mixing water: 0, 5, 10, and 15%. Two sets of specimens were fabricated and subjected to a 420-day test period under two different working conditions: natural environmental conditions and high-humidity conditions. Open-circuit potential parameters were analyzed to compare the behavior of the mixtures and determine the corrosion rate. It was observed that under environmental conditions, the mixtures with 0% and 15% mucilage exhibited higher corrosion rates, with values of 0.046 and 0.049 mm/year, respectively, compared to the mixtures with low mucilage additions of 5% and 10%, which showed values of 0.041 and 0.038 mm/year, respectively. The corrosion rates of the mixtures under high-humidity conditions were 0.010 for M0, 0.009 for M1 and M2, and 0.014 for M3. The results indicate that mixtures with 5% and 10% mucilage show better corrosion protection, suggesting that this approach could be a sustainable, low-cost solution to enhance the durability of concrete structures, particularly in coastal areas with high humidity levels. It is concluded that adding nopal mucilage in low concentrations as a substitute for mixing water in concrete formulations not only modifies the properties of concrete, but also reduces the corrosion rate of reinforcement steel under high-humidity conditions, thereby extending the service life of constructions.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9637/8/2/26mucilagecorrosion ratehumiditysaline humidityconcrete
spellingShingle Enrique Martínez-Barrios
UIises Páramo-García
Edgardo Jonathan Suárez-Domínguez
Josué Francisco Pérez-Sánchez
The Effect of Nopal Mucilage Addition on the Corrosion Rate of Reinforcement Steel in Concrete
Surfaces
mucilage
corrosion rate
humidity
saline humidity
concrete
title The Effect of Nopal Mucilage Addition on the Corrosion Rate of Reinforcement Steel in Concrete
title_full The Effect of Nopal Mucilage Addition on the Corrosion Rate of Reinforcement Steel in Concrete
title_fullStr The Effect of Nopal Mucilage Addition on the Corrosion Rate of Reinforcement Steel in Concrete
title_full_unstemmed The Effect of Nopal Mucilage Addition on the Corrosion Rate of Reinforcement Steel in Concrete
title_short The Effect of Nopal Mucilage Addition on the Corrosion Rate of Reinforcement Steel in Concrete
title_sort effect of nopal mucilage addition on the corrosion rate of reinforcement steel in concrete
topic mucilage
corrosion rate
humidity
saline humidity
concrete
url https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9637/8/2/26
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