The Development of Ordinary Portland Cement – Epoxy Resin For Building Construction Applications

Abstract

Portland cement is a very important material in building construction however it possesses limitations in some applications. Thus, the use of polymeric materials would give an important role in increasing the efficiency of Portland cement. This research aimed to study the mixture between Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and epoxy resin using water-soluble hardeners as curing agents. The degree of substituting epoxy in cement was varied in the rage of 10 to 40 wt%. Mixing and forming process were carried out under ambient conditions in the laboratory room. The samples were form in the size of 50×50×50 mm3 and they were hydrated for 7, 14, 28 and 60 days. The compressive strength was investigated by compression test. The results showed that the mixture between Ordinary Portland Cement and 40 wt% epoxy resin gave the highest compressive strength, as a result of toughening effect of the polymer phase. Moreover, the adding of epoxy resin into cement affect the hydration of cement.