Use of Cedrela odorata Linnaeus Exudate for Inhibiting Corrosion by Chlorides in Reinforced Concrete

Abstract

This paper evaluates the use of cedar tree exudate in chloride penetration and the probability of steel corrosion in reinforced concrete (rc), considering 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9 % exudate by  cement weight in the mixture at water/cement (w/c) ratios of 0.55 and 0.60. Under these conditions, cylindrical specimens of 4 inches in diameter and 8 inches in height were constructed. The water-sol- uble chloride content of the extracted concrete powder was measured at 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 cm depth according to astm C1218/C1218M, while the probability of corrosion was determined by measuring electric potentials with astm C876. A favorable incidence of 0.46 % by weight of concrete was found when using 0.7 % exudate at the w/c ratio of 0.55 at the closest depth to the steel, compared to the 0.55 % target. The probability of steel corrosion is reduced to 10 % with potentials higher than -0.2 V with more prolonged exposure to chlorides.