Congratulations Matthew Krafcik, an MSE Ph.D. student advised by Prof. Kendra Erk.

Tyler Ley, Cements Division Chair, poses with Matthew Krafcik, Purdue University, whom won for his poster “Superabsorbent hydrogels as internal curing agents: Investigating the effects of hydrogel particle size on properties and microstructure of concrete.”
Matthew Krafcik, a Ph.D. student advised by Prof. Kendra Erk, received a best poster award at the 7th annual Cements Division meeting of The American Ceramics Society, held at Northwestern University from July 10-13, 2016.

Matthew Krafcik, a Ph.D. student advised by Prof. Kendra Erk, received a best poster award at the 7th annual Cements Division meeting of The American Ceramics Society, held at Northwestern University from July 10-13, 2016. Matt’s poster was entitled, “Superabsorbent Hydrogels for Internal Curing: Investigating Calcium Absorption through Titration and Influence on Mortar Microstructure.” The poster was a collaborative effort between Matthew and Austin Beggs, a junior in MSE who worked on the project during the summer.

The goal of Matthew’s research project is to quantify how the chemical and physical properties of hydrogel-based internal curing agents directly affect the microstructure, phase formation, and early-age properties of internally cured concrete and mortar mixtures, which are expected to display increased strength and durability. See Matthew’s recent publication in Materials and Structures for more details