Properties of Polymer-Modified Mortar Using Silane as an Integral Additive

Abstract In the present paper, the addition of silane to improve the properties of mortar was experimentally investigated. The morphology and microstructure of mortar were investigated by using both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and polarizing microscopy (PM). The results show that silane significantly alters the microstructure of mortar, reduces the crystallization, restricts the degree of hydration of cement-based materials, and decreases micro-voids. As a result, silane effectively improves the chemical and carbonation resistance, as well as the chloride and water penetration resistance of mortar. Results also indicate that the consistency of mortar was improved but the compressive strength of the mortar was decreased. Specifically, silane would also be beneficial to the bridging cracking function to resist crack propagation.