Comparative Study on the Effects of Various Modified Admixtures on the Mechanical Properties of Styrene-Acrylic Emulsion-Based Cement Composite Materials

Abstract

This study carried out tensile tests at definite elongation, tensile and shear tests on 4 admixture-modified styrene-acrylic emulsion-based cement composites (SECCs), and measured the strength, deformation, and energy consumption indexes of test specimens, so as to investigate the influences of coalescing agent, plasticizer, silane coupling agent, and nanometer aluminium oxide on the bond, tensile, and shear mechanical properties of the test specimens. Additionally, the Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) test and Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MIP) test were conducted on the composite material specimens, to analyze the microscopic mechanism of different admixtures in modifying the mechanical properties of the SECC. The results suggested that the addition of coalescing agent, plasticizer, silane coupling agent, and nanometer aluminium oxide improved the bond, tensile and shear properties of the SECC specimens to various degrees. Of them, the coalescing agent promoted the mutual cross-linking of organic polymers with inorganic products, and optimized the transition interface to enhance the comprehensive mechanical properties of the test specimens; by contrast, nanometer aluminium oxide developed secondary hydration reaction with the inorganic products, and refined the pore structure to modify the mechanical properties of test specimens. Therefore, both of them achieved significant modification effects. Typically, the optimal bond properties of FFAMC, PLMC, SCAMC, and NAMC test specimens were achieved at the coalescing agent, plasticizer, silane coupling agent, and nanometer aluminium oxide addition amounts of 4%, 1.5%, 3%, and 1%, respectively. Besides, the improving effects of different admixtures on the tensile property of SECC specimens followed the order of coalescing agent > nanometer aluminium oxide > plasticizer > silane coupling agent, with the optimal addition amounts of 4%, 1.5%, 1%, and 2%, respectively. In addition, the improving effects of different admixtures on the shear performance of SECC specimens followed the order of coalescing agent > nanometer aluminium oxide > silane coupling agent > plasticizer, with the optimal addition amounts of 4%, 1.5%, 1%, and 1%, respectively.