Construction and Building Materials 257 (2020) 119585

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Construction and Building Materials

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Interaction of a viscous biopolymer from cactus extract with cement

paste to produce sustainable concrete
Durgadevagi Shanmugavel a, Thirumalini Selvaraj b, Ravi Ramadoss a,⇑, Simona Raneri c
a
Department of Civil Engineering, SRM Institute of Science & Technology, Kattakulathur, Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu, India
b
Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, School of Civil and Chemical Engineering, VIT University, Vellore, India
c
National Research Council, ICCOM-CNR, Via G. Moruzzi, 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy

h i g h l i g h t s

 Sustainable concretes using natural biopolymers from cactus extract were studied.
 Standard tests, XRD and FTIR analysis allowed to better understand the interaction between concrete and biopolymer.
 Polysaccharides and proteins from the biopolymer are responsible for enhancing the fresh and hardened properties of modified concretes.
 The use of natural biopolymers from cactus extract is advisable to produce green and ecofriendly concretes.

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The development of sustainable building materials is essential in view of meting worldwide require-
Received 8 January 2020 ments of the green and sustainable economy; this aspect is crucial in cement concrete, in which commer-
Received in revised form 17 April 2020 cial demand is increasing day by day. Superior quality concretes can be produced by using natural
Accepted 14 May 2020
additives, such as biopolymers, being them harmfully respect to the environment. In this investigation,
bio-additives prepared from cactus extract with varying concentrations was mixed into cement concrete
mixtures for the manufacturing of sustainable concretes. The modified concretes were evaluated for their
Keywords:
fresh and hardened state properties. The interaction of cactus extract with cement particles during hydra-
Bio-additive
Green concretes
tion reactions was also examined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR); the microstructural
Cactus extract properties of the modified cement concrete was also studied through X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Thermo
Durability Gravimetric Analysis (TGA). As a result, FT-IR evidenced that the additives containing polysaccharides
XRD enhanced the water retention of the concrete, preventing the early drying of the concrete mix and
TGA thereby reducing shrinkage cracks. Cactus extract enhances the viscosity property of the concrete mix
FTIR and thereby improves the workability of the concrete mix. The results of the investigation also evidenced
that modified concretes exhibit enhanced mechanical properties and durability characteristics. In partic-
ular, polysaccharides influence the strength characteristics of the additive modified concrete while pro-
teins and fats have an impact on the workability and durability of modified concrete. Hence, the tested
bio-additive could be considered as an eco-friendly, cheaper natural additive that could develop sustain-
able cement composites with upgraded workability, mechanical and durability characteristics.
Ó 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction consuming and environmentally taxing process [3]. In fact, it is

Cement is the major binding material used today; it is mainly
used to produce concretes with high mechanical strength. How-
ever, the durability of concrete is greatly affected by environmental
conditions [1,2] and also the production of cement is a high energy
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: thirumalini.selvaraj@vit.ac.in (T. Selvaraj), ravistrucl@yahoo.
co.in (R. Ramadoss), simona.raneri@pi.iccom.cnr.it (S. Raneri).
well-known that the cement producing industries release about
4% of the global carbon dioxide into the atmosphere [4]. As the
demand for concrete production is increasing day by day, it is very
important to develop more sustainable concrete manufacture by
reducing the amount of cement in the concrete mixture [5]. Sus-
tainability in concrete manufacture can be accomplished by
improving present practices, developing new concrete mixes, inno-
vating product design and improving the performance of concrete-
based products during its service life [6].

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.119585
0950-0618/Ó 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
2 D. Shanmugavel et al. / Construction and Building Materials 257 (2020) 119585
As an example, polymeric organic additives are being extensively
used in concrete to modify their properties [7–12], especially to
enhance mechanical and durability characteristics. Generally, addi-
tives are due to synthetic polymers, which use increase the emission
of toxic species into the environment [13]. Moreover, such chemical
additives are usually expensive. Therefore, to overcome such draw-
backs in chemical additives, the adoption of sustainable materials
technologies in concretes is in the light of the current research
[14–17]; particularly, low-cost natural additives and plant extracts
have been demonstrated to be valuable alternatives in manufactur-
ing green and low-cost cement binders, improving their mechanical
properties and cut down production costs [18–41].
For example, potato starch demonstrated to improve the
mechanical resistance of lime mortars when used as a biodegradable
natural polymer [18]. Karandikar et al. [19] reported the increased
compressive strength of cement mortar cubes (up to 10%) after
56 days of curing when natural bio-polymeric okra extract is mixed
into cement mortar. The extract obtained by boiling barks of Blue-
gum tree in water was used as a shrinkage reducing admixture in
cement [20]. Govin et al. [21] demonstrated that guar gum, rich in
polysaccharides, increased the water retention capacity of cement
mortars and delayed the hydration process of cement due to adsorp-
tion of the molecules of admixture on surfaces of the hydrating
cement particles. Another natural organic admixture, namely palm
liquor, illustrated improved workability in cement concretes, with
retardation in setting time; the modified mixture resulted in a com-
pact mass with improved mechanical resistance without adverse
effect on the durability of concrete [22]. Black gram was used as a
natural polymer in India by Chandra et al. [23]; it was used as a
cheaper plasticizer in cement concrete by Dwivedi et al. [24]. Studies
have demonstrated that it works as an air-entraining defoaming
agent and improves concrete properties such as adhesiveness and
hydrophobicity. Eucheumacottonii (gel) and GracilariaSp from sea-
weeds were used as natural polymer by Retno Susilorini et al. [25];
experimental tests demonstrated that it improves the compressive
strength and split tensile strength of cement mortars. The strength
and durability properties of cement concrete with starch admixture
were tested by Akindahunsi et al. [26]; experimental tests evidenced
mechanical properties of cement concrete is enhanced by the addi-
tion of these natural additives. Durability and mechanical properties
of high-performance cement mortar containing supplementary
cementations materials were tested by Elahi et al. [27]; in these
admixtures, an enormous improvement in durability and mechani-
cal properties were observed.
Among natural polymers, particularly interesting is the use of
Opuntia Ficus Indica extract, largely used since antiquity in different
worldwide areas. Chandra et al. [28] demonstrated that the use of
such natural polymer assures a significant improvement (about 5–
7 times) of durability in mortar lime-based mortars. Moreover, its
ability to produce binders characterised by high hydrophobicity
has been demonstrated by experiments carried out on mortars
mock-ups replicating the Mexican historical structures [29]. A fer-
mented extract of cactus was used as a bio-admixture in hydraulic
lime mortar by Ravi et al. [30] and reported positive results in
terms of mechanical properties due to the adhesive nature of
admixture. In fact, the water repellent nature of the admixture
due to the presence of proteins improved the durability of the mor-
tars, reducing water absorption, declining capillary rise and resis-
tance to salt crystallization cycles. The use of a cactus extract act
as a calcium-isolating agent in alkali conditions could provide
gelating performance. Moreover, this mucilage exhibits a great
inclination to agglomerate salt solutions [31]. Cactus mucilage
when mixed with a salt solution, forms a high-viscous solution
even at a lower concentration of 5% that has a mechanical spectra
trait of a complicated network of disordered polymer coils [32],
improving the durability of buildings.
Among the cited natural polymers, cactus extract seems to repre-
sent interesting challenges, for its ability in both improving mechan-
ical strength and durability of modified binders. However, to better
understand the potential of its use in current applications, enlarging
its use from lime-based mortars in historical buildings to commer-
cially available products, it is necessary to better understand the
interaction between the viscous biopolymer from cactus extract
and the cement paste. Therefore, in this study natural polymer from
Cactus (Opuntia Ficus Indica) rich in insoluble fibers and water-
soluble mucilage is used as a natural polymer additive in cement
concrete. Aspects as the effect of the cactus extract on fresh and
hardened state properties of cement composites and their micro-
structural behaviour were explored and the changes in mechanical
properties and durability of cement concrete were evaluated.
2. Materials
The cement used in this study is OPC 53 grade as per IS 12,269 –
1987 [42], river sand of particle size 2.36 mm down was used as
fine aggregate, while 12.5 mm down gravel was used as coarse
aggregate and the physical properties of the material are displayed
in Table 1. Opuntia ficus Indica extract (Cactace family) was used as
a natural organic additive. The cactus leaves were collected at the
Tamil Nadu forest research center, Maraimalai Nagar, Kanchipu-
ram district nearby Chennai. The leaves of cactus were cut into
small pieces and added into freshwater; the leaves were then
squeezed by hand until the gel was completely extracted and then
filtered, obtaining in this way a natural bio-polymer, up to now
named CEX (cactus extract). The extract was therefore mixed into
water in varying concentrations of 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% by
weight of water and was used for mixing the concrete.
3. Experimental study
3.1. Material properties
The dried cactus gel was analysed to find out the quantity of
proteins, fats and polysaccharides. Crude fat test conforming to
IS: 7874-1975 [43] was conducted to determine the presence of
fat and Kjeldahl digestion test [44] was conducted to determine
the amount of protein present in the additive. From the percentage
mass of fat and protein, the polysaccharide content was calculated,
and the results are reported in Table 2. Cactus contains around 5%
polysaccharides and 1.82% proteins along with 0.12% fats.
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) was carried out
to identify the main functional organic groups of additive used and
for identification of changes in hydrated phases of concrete due to
the interaction of cactus gel.
The standard consistency of cement was determined according
to IS: 4031-1988 [45], while the initial and final setting time of
cement was calculated by following the IS: 4031-1988 standard
Table 1
Physical Properties of Materials.
Materials Specific Gravity Fineness modulus (%)
Cement 3.13 4
Fine Aggregate 2.71 3.53
Coarse Aggregate 2.73 2.97
Table 2
Organic analysis of admixture.
Admixture Water (%) Polysaccharide (%) Protein (%) Fats (%)
Cactus 92.43 4.9 1.82 0.12
 D. Shanmugavel et al. / Construction and Building Materials 257 (2020) 119585
test [46]. The tests were performed on samples mixed with varying
dosages of CEX solution (2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% in water) and on a
reference sample mixed with 100% of water. The water retentivity
test was carried out on the cement mortar according to ASTM
C1506 - 2016 [47].
3.2. Tests on concrete
M20 grade concrete (characteristic compressive strength of
20 MPa) with a mix proportion of 1:1.5:3 by following IS 456 –
2000 [48] was adopted in this investigation.
Six concrete mixes were cast with various dosages of CEX solu-
tion (namely, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% along with reference mix
obtained with 100% of water). Twenty-one concrete cubes for each
mixture (CEX 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10%) along with reference concrete
mix were cast (totally 126 cubes).
The slump cone test was performed according to IS:1199-1959
[49] to determine the workability of the concrete. Compression
test were carried out according to IS:516 – 1959 [50] on concrete
cubes 100  100  100mm in dimension; the test was performed
at the loading rate of 140 kg/sq cm/min. Samples cured at 7, 14, 28,
56 and 90 days were analysed. The flexure test was carried out on
samples 100  100mm in section and 500 mm in length after 28,
56 and 90 days of curing. Flexure strength was measured using
two-point loading at the loading rate of 180 kg/min following IS
516 – 1959 [50]. Young’s modulus was determined by following
IS 516 – 1959 [50]; 90 days cured samples consisting of cylindrical
concrete specimens of 100 mm in diameter and 200 mm in height
were analysed. Splitting tensile strength of concrete was per-
formed in accordance with IS 5816: 1999 [51]; cylinder specimen
of 100 mm diameter and 200 mm in height were cast for testing
and the test was carried out on 90 days cured samples. Non-
destructive testing of concrete using the Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity
(UPV) technique was performed in accordance with IS 13311-
1992 [52] to examine the quality of concrete and to determine
the dynamic modulus of concrete. Rapid Chloride Penetration Test
(RCPT) was performed according to ASTM 1202-1997 [53] on the
concrete specimen (90 days cured) 100 mm in diameter and
50 mm in height. Acid resistance test was carried out on concrete
according to the guidelines specified in ASTM C267 - 2001 [54].
Concrete cubes, 100 mm side with various dosages of CEX (2%,
4%, 6%, 8%, and 10%) were cast and cured in the water containing
5% of sulfuric acid, for 28 days. Cured specimens were tested for
compression to determine the change in mechanical resistance.
Sulphate resistance test was performed like the acid resistance
with concrete cubes cured in the water containing 5% Na2SO4 solu-
tion for 28 days and changes in the compression strength were
determined.
4. Results and discussion
4.1. Material properties
Consistency and setting time for biopolymer modified cement
and reference mixture are presented in Table 3. The results show
Table 3
Fresh state properties of cement.
Sample Consistency (%) Initial Setting Time (Minutes)
Reference 29 35
CEX 2% 28.5 44
CEX 4% 28 47
CEX 6% 27.5 49
CEX 8% 27 52
CEX 10% 26.5 55
3
that consistency decrease with the increasing of CEX%, while the
setting time (initial and final) increases with increasing cactus
extract amount. In respect to water retentivity (Table 3), the
obtained results indicated that it increases with the CEX dosage.
It is interesting to note that in the water retentivity test, the
absorption of water by filter paper is through capillary rise. Accord-
ing to Jurin’s law, the capillary rise relies upon the density and thus
the viscosity of the liquid phase; in particular, the capillary motion
of a liquid is slowed down with increasing viscosity [55].
It is possible to interpret changes in cement properties as an
effect of the bio-polymer additive. The natural polymers have an
inherent character of surface absorbency of organic molecules
and subsequent development of protective polymeric film on the
cement particles and hydration products [56]. The further hydra-
tion of cement particles in polymer suspensions are restricted by
hydrophilic layers [9,57,58]. On the other hand, the chemical com-
position of polysaccharides-based additives works actively in a
highly alkaline environment and has greater control over the
hydration of cement paste [59–62]. Looking at the FT-IR spectra
collected on CEX solution (Fig. 1a), the typical bonding of both
hydrophobic and hydrophilic segments of the biopolymer can be
observed. In detail, bands at about 3400 cm 1 are related to OH
stretching modes; moreover, band at 1080 cm 1 are related to pro-
teins in cactus extract and, finally, C–H stretching modes at
2923.72 cm 1 are related to polysaccharides. Thus, a protein,
which acts as a viscosity-enhancing agent, could be responsible
for the viscosity increase in CEX modified cement; polysaccharides
are good moisturizer that helps to retain the moisture content in
cement. Moreover, both hydrophobic and hydrophilic segments
are present in the proteins of CEX, so that water molecules could
be attached to these hydrophilic parts by hydrogen bonds; this
could block the evaporation of water and keep the cement paste
moisturized. The FT-IR spectrum collected on biopolymer modified
cement exhibit an OH stretching band at 3400 cm 1 (Fig. 1b),
which can be related to moisture retained due to the bio-
Fig. 1. FTIR spectrum collected on (a) CEX (b) CEX modified cement concrete.
Final Setting Time (Minutes) Water retentivity (%)
580 96.70
610 97.95
630 98.11
640 98.32
650 98.57
660 98.82
4 D. Shanmugavel et al. / Construction and Building Materials 257 (2020) 119585

Table 4
Properties of concrete (reference and CEX modified), Slump values are reported for fresh state; split tensile strength, Young’s modulus and Dynamic Modulus are reported for
concrete at 90 days of curing.

Sample Slump Value of Split tensile strength at 90 days Young’s modulus at 90 days Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity
concrete (mm) (N/mm2) (N/mm2)
Pulse Velocity Concrete quality Dynamic modulus
(m/s) grading (N/mm2)
Reference 30 2.32 21188.61 5.025 Excellent 1.55  106
CEX 2% 33 2.61 23777.21 5.208 Excellent 1.66  106
CEX 4% 35 2.83 25263.35 5.319 Excellent 1.73  106
CEX 6% 38 3.24 28404.2 5.347 Excellent 1.75  106
CEX 8% 40 3.78 32537.31 5.434 Excellent 1.82  106
CEX 10% 44 4.39 34233.07 5.464 Excellent 1.84  106

40 35

35 30
Compressive Strength in Mpa

Compressive Strngth in Mpa

30
25
25
7 Days 20 7 Days
20
28 Days 14 Days
15
15 56 Days 28 Days
90 Days 56 Days
10 10
90 Days
5 5

0
Reference CEX 2% CEX 4% CEX 6% CEX 8% CEX 10% 0
Sample Identity Reference CEX 2 % CEX 4 % CEX 6 % CEX 8 % CEX 10 %
Sample Identity

Fig. 2. Compressive strength in studied concretes.

Fig. 4. Self-curing characteristic of CEX modified concrete cured in air.

12
the hydration of cement paste, the pectin incorporates a certain
quantity of calcium ions in their structure; hence, the galacturonic
Flextural Strength in Mpa

10

acid can form strong intermolecular association among the galac-

8
turonan chains by forming calcium bridges, with an effect in
6 28 days enhancing viscosity [65,66]. As the concentrations of Ca2+ lowers
56 days in fluid, the rates of hydration of cement minerals is enhanced to
4 90 days equalize the calcium ion concentrations. The divalent Ca2+ ions link
2

0
Reference CEX 2% CEX 4% CEX 6% CEX 8% CEX 10%
Sample Identity

Fig. 3. Flexure strength in studied concretes.

polymer components [63]. Thus, proteins and polysaccharides

might contribute to retarding the drying shrinkage of the modified
cement preventing also the formation of cracks [64]. Finally,
regarding water retaining capability, its increase with CEX% can
be interpreted as an effect of viscosity-increasing.

4.2. Fresh state properties of concrete

The results of the workability test of reference and CEX modi-

fied concrete are presented in Table 4; the obtained results indicate
that the workability of the mixes increases with increasing concen-
tration of CEX%. Thus, the biopolymer seems to play a relevant role
in enhancing the workability of the modified concretes. This
behavior might be explained as a result of the galacturonic acid
of pectin fraction present in bio-additive, as evidenced in FT-IR
spectrum collected on CEX modified concrete (bands around Fig. 5. X-ray diffraction patterns collected on (a) reference concrete (b) CEX
1635 cm 1 and 1420 cm 1 [63,64], Fig. 1b). Specifically, during modified concrete (CEX 10% cured after 90 days).
 D. Shanmugavel et al. / Construction and Building Materials 257 (2020) 119585 5

Fig. 6. TGA for (a) reference concrete (b) CEX modified concrete (CEX 10% cured after 90 days).

the polymeric chains of pectin, thus improving the plasticity of the
concrete mix. Therefore, the viscous nature of cactus extract makes
the concrete mix more workable, thereby improving the consis-
tency of the additive modified concrete mix.
4.3. Mechanical properties
The results of the compressive strength of reference and CEX
modified concretes at 7, 28, 56 and 90 days of curing in water
are presented in Fig. 2. Up to the obtained results, it is possible
to note that compressive strength decreases at 7 days curing
regardless of the CEX%, while it increases with increasing CEX%
after 28, 56 and 90 days of curing time. The early-stage reduction
in strength at 7 curing days can be an effect of the hardening retard
in biopolymer modified cement, according to the already observed
moisture retentivity changes and explained role of polysaccharides
in retaining the moisture content in cement (see bending vibration
at 3460 cm 1 in CEX modified cement FTIR spectrum attributable
to polysaccharides effects, Fig. 1b). Similarly, the elastic modulus
increases with CEX% increasing, as shown in Table 4. The positive
6 D. Shanmugavel et al. / Construction and Building Materials 257 (2020) 119585

effect of CEX additive is also reflected in the flexural behavior
(Fig. 3); flexural strength increases in fact with the dosage of the
additive. The results of the split tensile strength of the concrete
on reference concrete and additive modified concrete at 90 days
are presented in Table 4. The split tensile strength of the concrete
was also found to be increased by 12.5%, 21.98%, 39.65%, 62.93%
and 89.22% at 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% dosage of CEX, respectively,
in comparison to the reference concrete. Finally, the results of
the Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity test on reference and additive modi-
fied concrete at 90 days are presented in Table 4. The pulse velocity
through the concrete increase with an increase in CEX% dosage
compared to the reference concrete, which shows an excellent con-
crete quality grade of additive modified concrete.
The enhanced mechanical characteristics of CEX modified con-
cretes could be due to the effect of polysaccharides present in
CEX solution. The additive also acts as an adhesive that produced
a solid microstructure of concrete [67] and reduces the shrinkage
and subsequent micro cracking. And as an effect, the consumption
of Ca2+ ions by the pectin in CEX enhanced the hydration of cement
particles [55]. The relatively lesser modulus of elasticity in con-
crete without additive could be due to the lack of water which is
required for the cement to completely hydrate. Speedy drying up
The results of sulphate resistance at 28 days are reported in
Fig. 8. The compressive strength of the concrete exhibit an increas-
ing of 6.3%, 10.5%, 15.34%, 17.98% and 25.39% respect to the refer-
ence concrete in 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% CEX dosage, respectively.
Also in this case, the CEX dosage seems to improve the durability
of concretes with respect to external attacks.
The results of the Rapid Chloride Penetration Test (RCPT) on ref-
erence modified concretes at 90 days of curing are summarized in
Table 5. The results evidenced that the Coulomb charges passed
through the modified concrete decrease with the CEX% increasing.
The chloride permeability was found to be high on reference con-
crete, moderate on 2%, 4% and 6% CEX respectively, low on 8% CEX
and 10% CEX. Specifically, it is around 4860 for the reference con-
crete, while it is around 2500 for 2% and 4% CEX, indicating mod-
erate chloride penetration and below the lower limit, according
to ASTM C1202 - 1997 [53]; the values are even lower (of the order
25
20

Compressive strength in Mpa

of water from the concrete surface triggers their shrinkage [68]
resulting in lower elasticity. Shrinkage due to lack of moisture in
the reference concrete causes microcracks due to tension created 15
in its internal structure and subsequent volume changes that
adversely impact the growth of modulus of elasticity [69,70].
Whereas in the case of additive modified concrete necessary mois- 10
ture is provided by the polysaccharides present in CEX that reduces
the shrinkage and subsequent microcracking thereby resulted in
5
increased modulus of elasticity
The self-curing characteristic of additive CEX was studied on
samples cured in air at 27 °C. The results are presented in Fig. 4.
0
Self-cured CEX concretes exhibit higher strength with the increase Reference CEX 2% CEX 4% CEX 6% CEX 8% CEX 10%
in the dosage of the additive, since the beginning of the curing per- Sample Identity
iod. This behavior could be attributed to the continuation of the
hydration process due to the presence of moisture (water retentiv- Fig. 7. Resistance against acid attack at 28 days.
ity) provided by the polysaccharides. This leads to the generation
of more amount of CSH that results in lower voids and pores,
and greater bond force between the cement paste and aggregates
[71–73], leading to better mechanical resistance. 25
Compressive Strength in Mpa

X-Ray diffraction patterns collected on modified concretes pro-

vided an insight into changes induced to the CEX modified concrete 20
behavior by the biopolymer (Fig. 5). XRD analysis revealed a reduc-
tion of portlandite in the CEX modified concrete. This is an indica- 15
tion of the early consumption of portlandite to form calcium
silicate hydrate phases. Higher intense peaks of C2S and C3S phases 10
are observed in the CEX 10% concrete sample compared to the ref-
erence concrete samples. The composition of CEX modified cement 5
support the observed enhanced mechanical properties; CSH is a
strength contributing phase, contributing to better filling voids in 0
Reference CEX 2% CEX 4% CEX 6% CEX 8% CEX 10%
concrete [65]. These results are further substantiated by thermo-
Sample Identity
gravimetric analysis (Fig. 6). Looking at dehydration from 105 °C
to 400 °C [74], it is 4.93% in a reference sample while increase up
to 5.86% in the CEX 10% sample, indicating higher CSH amount in Fig. 8. Resistance against sulphate attack at 28 days.
the CEX modified concretes.

4.4. Durability properties Table 5

RCPT results on reference and CEX modified concretes.
In Fig. 7 the results of resistance against acid attack at 28 days Sample Charge passed (Coulombs) Chloride permeability
are shown. The residual compressive strength of the additive mod-
Reference 4860 High
ified concrete samples was found to increase of 7.5%, 9.7%, 13.5%, CEX 2% 2592 Moderate
16.75% and 20% in 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% CEX, respectively, in com- CEX 4% 2439 Moderate
parison to the reference concrete. This result indicates that the CEX CEX 6% 2268 Moderate
additive serves as a protective polymeric film against the intrusion EX 8% 1684 Low
CEX 10% 1529 Low
of sulphuric acid, providing a more effective barrier.
 D. Shanmugavel et al. / Construction and Building Materials 257 (2020) 119585
of 1500 C charges) for further increase in dosages of CEX. Generally,
the resistance of plain cement concrete specimens against chloride
penetration decreases with increasing water-cement ratio of the
mix, as a result of the porous microstructure [75]. This resistance
to chloride penetration of the additive modified concrete could
be attributed to the reduction of pores between the cement parti-
cles [76] due to the adhesiveness provided by the polysaccharides
of CEX that brings the particles closer together, producing a more
compact microstructure compared to reference concrete.
5. Conclusions
The most significant findings of the investigation on the effect
of the viscous biopolymeric natural additive, namely cactus extract
(CEX) on the fresh state, mechanical, durability and microstruc-
tural characteristics of cement concrete can be summarized as
follows:
1. The bio-additive demonstrated strong water-retaining charac-
teristics due to the moisture-retaining ability of polysaccha-
rides present in cactus, which is evident in FTIR analysis.
2. The inherent viscous nature of the bio-additive enhances the
workability and reduces the water requirement of the concrete
mix. The divalent Ca2+ ions link the polymeric chains of pectins
present in CEX and thus improve the plasticity of the concrete
mix.
3. Though the strength gain of the additive modified concrete at
an early age is slower, after 28 days the mechanical properties
are enhanced and surpassed the reference cement concrete that
could be attributed to the enhanced hydration of cement parti-
cles due to the consumption of Ca2+ ions by the additive CEX.
4. The additive modified concretes have demonstrated better
durability characteristics in terms of resisting chloride penetra-
tion with a drastic reduction in the Coulomb charges; they have
also shown better resistance against acid and sulphate attack.
5. The increasing of CEX% determines an enhancement of mechan-
ical and durability properties of the modified concretes
6. XRD and TGA analysis reveals that the early consumption of
portlandite in the CEX modified concrete to form CHS gels is
responsible for the improved mechanical properties of modified
concretes.
7. The interaction of proteins, polysaccharides and pectin present
in the CEX solution with cement well explain the extent of the
enhanced physical-mechanical properties in modified con-
cretes. In detail, polysaccharides influence the strength charac-
teristics of the additive modified concrete while proteins and
fats have an impact on the workability and durability of modi-
fied concrete.
8. Natural organic additives in place of chemical additives are eco-
friendly materials, cheap and it could be easily handled without
any risk. The future is completely dependent on eco-friendly
materials; hence the use of natural organic additives to improve
the strength and durability of cement concrete would be the
better option for sustainability.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Durgadevagi Shanmugavel: Investigation, Software, Data cura-
tion, Writing - original draft. Thirumalini Selvaraj: Validation,
Supervision, Visualization. Ravi Ramadoss: Conceptualization,
Methodology, Writing - review & editing. Simona Raneri: Soft-
ware, Validation.
7
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-
cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared
to influence the work reported in this paper.
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