Mechanical and durability properties of fluoropolymer modified cement mortar

The addition of different types of polymers such as SBR, VAE, Acrylic, etc. in concrete and mortar leads to an increase in compressive, tensile and bond strength and decrease in permeability of polymer modified mortar (PMM) and concrete (PMC). The improvement in properties such as bond strength and impermeability makes PMM/PMC suitable for use as repair/retrofitting and water proofing material. In the present study effect of addition of fluoropolymer on the strength and permeability properties of mortar has been studied. In the cement mortar different percentages viz. 10, 20 and 30 percent of fluoropolymer by weight of cement was added. It has been observed that on addition of fluoropolymer in mortar the workability of mortar increases. In the present study all specimens were cast keeping the workability constant, i.e., flow value $105{\pm}5mm$, by changing the amount of water content in the mortar suitably. The specimens were cured for two different curing conditions. Firstly, these were cured wet for one day and then cured dry for 27 days. Secondly, specimens were cured wet for 7 days and then cured dry for 21 days. It has been observed that compressive strength and split tensile strength of specimens cured wet for 7 days and then cured dry for 21 days is 7-13 percent and 12-15 percent, respectively, higher than specimens cured one day dry and 27 days wet. The sorptivity of fluoropolymer modified mortar decreases by 88.56% and 91% for curing condtion one and two, respectively. However, It has been observed that on addition of 10 percent fluoropolymer both compressive and tensile strength decreases, but with the increase in percentage addition from 10 to 20 and 30 percent both the strengths starts increasing and becomes equal to that of the control specimen at 30 percent for both the curing conditions. It is further observed that percentage decrease in strength for second curing condition is relatively less as compared to the first curing condition. However, for both the curing conditions chloride ion permeability of polymer modified mortar becomes very low.