Outdoor Durability of Polymer

Modified Mortar

Donald A. Schmidt
Rohm and Haas Company
Polymer Modified Mortar

! Polymers can be added into mortar to modify properties.

! Polymer forms a film around cement grains.

! Water is held against Portland cement grains and evaporation

is reduced, even in very thin application.
SEMs of Unmodified Concrete
SEMs of Polymer Modified Concrete
 Properties of Polymer Modified Concrete

! Thin section toughness

! Adhesion to substrate
! Increased mechanical strength
! Increased impact resistance
! Increased abrasion resistance
! Increased chemical resistance
! Increased corrosion resistance
! Increased liquid water resistance
 Theories of Polymer Modification Mechanism of
Action

! Equal workability at significantly lower water level

(superplasticizer effect)

! Polymer coalesces to form a film and to hold liquid water

against cement grains to undergo hydration reaction rather than
being lost to evaporation

! The polymer film absorbs energy from microcrack propagation,

thus terminating microcracking and enhancing mortar
toughness (tensile strength)
 Methodology of the Study

! Outdoor exposure at Spring House, Pennsylvania, USA

! Mechanical strength of mortar samples after outdoor exposure

Tensile strength using ASTM C-190
Shearbond adhesion strength using a test method developed in
our laboratory
 Rohm and Haas Company Central Outdoor
Exposure Station

! Located at Spring House, Pennsylvania, which is a suburb of

Philadelphia
! Average exposure conditions over 30 years
67 freeze / thaw cycles per year
-18 C to +38 C temperature range
85 cm of rain per year
50 cm of snow per year
! 40 north latitude
! Rohm and Haas Company has other outdoor exposure stations
in regions throughout the world
 Shearbond Adhesion Test Method

! Preparation of test specimen

Base block is Portland cement concrete 15 cm x 10 cm x 2.5 cm
cured for at least 28 days before use
Surface of base block is washed to remove laitance before use
Test mortar applied in patches 10 cm x 10 cm x 2.5 cm
Unmodified mortar cured at 23 C and 100% relative humidity
Modified mortar cured at 23 C and 50% relative humidity
Shearbond Adhesion Test Method

! Mechanical testing
Shear mode
0.28 cm / minute cross head speed
Record strength in MPa
Record mode of failure
! Adhesive failure
! Cohesive failure in test mortar
! Cohesive failure in base block
Shearbond Adhesion Test Specimen
Shearbond Adhesion Test Specimen
Shearbond Adhesion Test Set Up
Mortar Experimental Series I

! White marble aggregate : white Portland cement Type I = 1 : 1

by weight
! 0.10 polymer solids / cement weight ratio
! 100% acrylic polymer vs. SBR polymer vs. no polymer
! Water / cement weight ratio set for equal. Workability
100% acrylic modified (water / cement) weight ratio = 0.28
SBR modified (water / cement) weight ratio = 0.33
No modifier (water / cement) weight ratio = 0.46
 Mortar Formulations for Experimental Series I

Material Parts by weight Parts by weight Parts by weight

White Portland 100 100 100

cement Type I
Georgia marble 100 100 100
CaCO3, #XO
100% acrylic polymer 10 -- --
solids
Styrene-butadiene -- 10 --
polymer solids
Foamaster NXZ 0.1 0.1 --
defoamer
Water 27.6 33.4 45.8
Mortar Experimental Series I

! Spray applied to asbestos panels with hopper gun

! Placed on exposure in November 1972 at 45 south at Spring

House, PA
100% Acrylic Polymer Modified Mortar from
Experimental Series I after 35 Years Outdoor
Exposure
Styrene-Butadiene Polymer Modified Mortar from Experimental
Series I after 35 Years Outdoor Exposure
Unmodified Mortar from Experimental Series I after
35 Years Outdoor Exposure
Mortar Experimental Series II

! 45 mesh sand : grey Portland cement Type I = 1 : 1 by weight

! 0.10 polymer solids / cement weight ratio
! 100% acrylic latex polymer vs. no polymer
! Water / cement weight ratio set at equal workability
100% acrylic modified (water / cement) weight ratio = 0.43
Unmodified mortar (water / cement) weight ratio = 0.60
! Shearbond adhesion strength tested after 4 years outdoor
exposure in horizontal position
 Mortar Formulation for Experimental Series II

Material Parts by weight Parts by weight

Grey Portland cement Type I 100 100

Sand, 45 mesh 300 300

100% acrylic polymer solids 10 --

Foamaster NXZ defoamer 0.1 --

Water 31.7 60.0

Shearbond adhesion strength of Exposure II after 4
Years of Outdoor Exposure
Shearbond adhesion strength,

4 3.6
3.5 3
3
2.5
Initial
MPa

2
1.5 4 years
0.9
1
0.4
0.5
0
100% acrylic None
Polymer type
 Tensile strength of Exposure II after 4 Years of
Outdoor Exposure

7
5.9
6
Tensile strength, MPa

5
3.7
4 Initial
3 2.2 4 years
1.7
2
1
0
100% acrylic None
Polymer type
 Mortar Experimental Series III

! 60 mesh sand : grey Portland cement Type I = 2.5 : 1 weight

ratio
! 0.10 polymer solids / cement weight ratio
! 100% acrylic vs. EVA dry powder polymer modifiers
! Water / cement weight ratio set to equal workability
100% acrylic modified mortar (water / cement) weight ratio = 0.47
EVA modified mortar (water / cement) weight ratio = 0.55
! Shearbond adhesion strength tested after 11.5 years outdoor
exposure in horizontal position
 Mortar Formulation for Experimental Series III

Material Parts by weight Parts by weight

Grey Portland cement Type I 100 100

Sand, 60 mesh 250 250

100% acrylic dry powder 10 --

polymer

VAE dry powder polymer -- 10

Colloids 513DD defoamer 1 1

Water 47 55
 Shearbond adhesion strength of Exposure III after
11.5 Years of Outdoor Exposure
Shearbond adhesion strength,

5 4.3
4 3.4
3 Initial
MPa

2 1.4 11.5 years

1.3
1

0
100% acrylic EVA
Polymer type
 Tensile strength of Exposure III after 11.5 Years of
Outdoor Exposure

5 4.6
4.3
3.9
Tensile strength, MPa

3 Initial
2.3
2 11.5 years

0
100% acrylic EVA
Polymer type
 Mortar Experimental Series IV

! 60 mesh sand / grey Portland cement Type I = 2.5 / 1 weight

ratio
! 0.10 polymer solids / cement weight ratio
! 100% acrylic vs. EVA dry powder polymer modifiers
! Water / cement weight ratio set to equal workability
100% acrylic modified mortar (water / cement) weight ratio = 0.53
EVA modified mortar (water / cement) weight ratio = 0.65
! Shearbond adhesion strength tested after 4 years outdoor
exposure in horizontal position
 Mortar Formulation for Experimental Series IV

Material Parts by weight Parts by weight

Grey Portland cement Type I 100 100

Sand, 60 mesh 250 250

100% acrylic dry powder 10 --

polymer
VAE dry powder polymer -- 10

Colloids 513DD defoamer 1.0 3.1

Water 53.0 65.0

 Dry Shearbond Adhesion Strength of Exposure
Series IV after 4 Years Outdoor Exposure
Shearbond adhesion strength,

5
4.2
4
2.9
3 Initial
MPa

2 1.6 4 years
1
1

0
100% acrylic EVA
Polymer type
 Dry and Wet Shearbond Adhesion Strength of
Exposure Series IV after 4 Years Outdoor Exposure
Shearbond adhesion strength,

5 4.2
4 3.6
2.9
3 2.4 Initial
MPa

2 1.6 1.4 4 years

1
1 0.7

0
100% EVA Dry 100% EVA wet
acrylic dry acrylic wet
Polymer type and test condition
Tensile Strength of Exposure Series IV after 4 Years
Outdoor Exposure

5 4.5
Tensile strength, MPa

4 3.7
2.8
3 Initial
2 1.6 4 years

0
100% acrylic EVA
Polymer type
 Proposed Mechanism for Differences in Outdoor
Durability

! Styrene butadiene resins have electron clouds in styrene

rings and C C double bonds in the polymer backbone which
absorb UV photons
! The energy of the absorbed photons breaks bonds in the
polymer which degrades as a result
! VAE polymers are stabilized with polyvinyl alcohol, which is
soluble in water
! The acetate group in the VAE polymer is vulnerable to
hydrolysis in the high pH environment of Portland cement
! Acrylic polymers do not absorb UV radiation and are not
vulnerable to hydrolysis in the high pH environment of Portland
cement
Styrene-butadiene polymer

n
Polymethyl methacrylate

O O O
O O O

n
 Polyvinyl alcohol

n
OH OH OH OH
Polyethylene vinyl acetate

O CH3 O
CH3

O O

n
O O

O
CH3 O CH3
Ultraviolet Radiation Absorbance by Polymer
Modifiers of Different Chemistries

UV Absorption of Styrene-Butadiene vs
Acrylic Polymers

2.5

2
Absorbance

SBR - 0.05% (AU)

1.5
Acrylic 0.05% (AU)
1

0.5

0
190 210 230 250 270 290 310 330 350 370 390
Wavelength (nm)
 Conclusions

! Mortar modified with 100% acrylic polymer has excellent

outdoor durability both UV and water resistance

! Mortar modified with styrene-butadiene polymer has excellent

water resistance but erodes under outdoor exposure

! Mortar modified with ethylene vinyl acetate polymer is water

sensitive and substrate adhesion decreases under water
exposure