Mineral-Based Composite Materials for Energy Efficiency in Buildings

Abstract

Degradation of building materials is an important phenomenon influencing their design and utilization. Mineral-based polymer-mortar composites (PMC) are often used as inexpensive promising materials to prevent the deterioration of constructions or remedy various reinforced concrete structures and they are used as materials for energy efficiency in buildings. In repair applications, polymer addition allows improving the adhesion properties of materials used in coating. With the intention of improving the sustainability of these composites, the influence of latex polymer and supplementary cementitious materials (natural pozzolan and silica fume) additions on the characteristics of these composites was investigated in aggressive media, such as acids. Mortars made with local pozzolanic mineral admixtures, obtained by substituting cement by different proportions of polymer (0, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15%) were conserved in acidic solutions for 56 days. The microstructural analysis of these mortars was performed, using the X-ray diffraction technique, after 56 days of exposure to acid attack. The obtained results enable to bring out the beneficial effect of adding a latex polymer and other pozzolanic additives into modified materials on resistance to acid attacks. So, these composite materials can be recommended as materials for energy efficiency in buildings.