Abstract
This paper presents the results of an experimental program to investigate the effect of temperature on the performance of epoxy and unsaturated polyester polymer mortars (PM). PM is a composite material in which polymeric materials are used to bond the aggregates in a fashion similar to that used in the preparation of Portland cement concrete. For this purpose, prismatic and cylindrical specimens were prepared for flexural and compressive tests, respectively, at different temperatures. Measurements of the temperature-dependent elastic modulus and the compressive and flexural strength were conducted using a thermostatic chamber attached to a universal test machine for a range of temperatures varying from room temperature to 90 oC. The flexural and compressive strength decreases as temperature increases, especially after matrix HDT. Epoxy polymer mortars are more sensitive to temperature variation than unsaturated polyester ones.
Highlights
A considerable amount of research has been performed on the thermal degradation of polymer matrix composites because this is a major problem in the application of thermoset polymers in different types of environments that are subjected to temperature changes[1]
All specimens were allowed to cure for 7 days at room temperature, and the epoxy specimens were post-cured at 80 °C for 3 hours and the unsaturated polyester mortars were post-cured for 4 hours at 60 °C before being tested for flexural and compression at different temperatures ranging from room temperature to 90 °C
The decrease in the flexural strength is consistent, and a 91.8% loss is reported between room temperature tests and 90 °C
Summary
A considerable amount of research has been performed on the thermal degradation of polymer matrix composites because this is a major problem in the application of thermoset polymers in different types of environments that are subjected to temperature changes[1]. Polymeric composite materials are some of the youngest building materials, and they are continually appearing with new and optimized properties as new combinations and formulations are developed. Regardless of their significant advantages in comparison with conventional construction materials, the mechanical properties of polymer composites are highly susceptible to the type of resin and reinforcement (or aggregate) employed, as well as to the quantity of both components[3,4,5,6]. The heat distortion takes place over a wide temperature range that, for many resins used in civil engineering, lies between 20 and 80 °C11 This means that during the service lifetime of the material, glass transition can occur[12]. Epoxy and unsaturated polyester polymer mortars are tested under different temperatures to evaluate their behavior when they are subjected to flexure and
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