Remote characterization of aerogel foam concrete using dynamic speckle pattern analysis

TL;DR

This study uses dynamic speckle pattern analysis to remotely monitor and quantify the degradation of aerogel foam concrete in acidic and alkaline environments, revealing faster deterioration in acids.

Contribution

It introduces a non-invasive remote characterization method for assessing AFC degradation, providing detailed surface and structural change analysis under chemical exposure.

Findings

AFC degrades faster in acidic environments.

Speckle pattern analysis effectively monitors surface damage.

Surface roughness correlates with degradation severity.

Abstract

Aerogel foam concrete (AFC) has garnered significant attention in recent years due to its exceptional thermal insulation, lightweight structure, and versatility in construction applications. However, the durability of this material in various chemical environments, particularly acidic and alkaline solutions, remains a critical concern for its long-term performance. In this study, we employed an advanced remote characterization technique-dynamic speckle pattern analysis-to monitor and quantify the degradation and corrosion processes of AFC under these conditions. Using this non-invasive method, we extracted valuable statistical parameters, including the time history of speckle patterns, co-occurrence matrix, inertia moment, Pearson correlation, and roughness indices, to provide a comprehensive analysis of surface and structural changes. Our findings reveal that AFC exposed to acidic environments undergoes faster degradation and more severe surface damage compared to alkaline environments, as demonstrated through $\textit{in situ}$ and remote characterization. These results underscore the importance of understanding material behavior in diverse conditions, offering critical insights for improving the durability of AFC in various applications.