The hydration behavior of polymer-incorporated calcium aluminate cement mortars at different curing temperatures

The potential degradation of calcium aluminate cement (CAC) concrete due to the conversion of thermodynamically metastable compounds into stable phases is a well-known phenomenon. This research focuses on the effects of polymers on the hydration kinetics and strength development of calcium aluminate cement (CAC) mortars at two curing temperatures, i.e., 200 °C and 38 °C. The constant CAC content was used to prepare mortars. However, the sand was replaced by acrylic polymer (AP) (5%), vinyl acetate monomer/vinyl versetate polymer (VA/VV) (2%), and two different Poly (vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl acetate) (PVAc) (2%). Isothermal calorimetric investigations for 3 days, capillary absorption tests, flexural strength tests and compressive strength tests at 3, 7, 28, and 90 days were conducted. The hydration reactions of CAC mortars accelerated by replacing sand with polymer admixtures. The flexural strength of CAC mortar with the AP exhibited on-par compressive strength values at 20 °C. All the polymer-incorporated samples except VA/VV displayed an increase in their late-age mechanical properties than 28 days results, showing promising results for reduction in strength decline at a later stage. The PVAc-73 (i.e., 73% hydrolysis degree)-incorporated mortar was unaffected by increased curing temperature. The mortars exhibited early hydration behavior at increased temperatures.