Open Access

ARTICLE

An Experimental study on the Fundamental Properties of Zeolite Cement Mortar

Byung-Wan Jo¹, Ji-Sun Choi², Yoon-Ki Kim², Yoon-Sung Lee²

1 Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.
2 PhD Student of Civil Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.

Structural Longevity 2012, 7(1), 19-27. https://doi.org/10.3970/sl.2012.007.019

Abstract

As the cement industry not only consumes a large amount of energy but also uses limestone as the main as a raw material, emitting CO₂, the main culprit behind global warming, it is expected to face a serious setback in the near future caused by environmental problems. With the advent of today’s cutting-edge technology and the public’s increased awareness about global environmental issues, the cement industry is actively seeking ways to adopt a variety of technology as part of an effort to diversify its resources. This study is designed to assess the material properties of zeolite cement mortar which consists mainly of natural zeolite, which recently draws much attention for its possibility as an alternative material to cement. The paper found out the strength properties and the optimal mix proportions by using alkali activator (NaOH) instead of water (H₂O) and preparing hardened zeolite mortar samples through alkali-activated reaction. As a result, the 7 day compressive strength of natural zeolite cement mortar was measured to be 42MPa, when the optimal proportion of alkali activator and curing temperature were applied. The study concludes that zeolite shows higher strength than existing types of cement and has a great potential to replace current construction materials.

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