Enhanced Mechanical Performance of Cement Paste Through Incorporation of a Tailored Terpolymer

Tulumcu Z., ÖZTÜRK M., Ciftci M.

Polymers for Advanced Technologies, cilt.36, sa.10, 2025 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 36 Sayı: 10
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1002/pat.70386
  • Dergi Adı: Polymers for Advanced Technologies
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, PASCAL, Aerospace Database, Applied Science & Technology Source, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Communication Abstracts, Compendex, INSPEC, Metadex, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: cement, compressive strength, flexural strength, micro analysis, terpolymer
  • Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This study presents a novel approach to enhance the mechanical performance of cement pastes through the incorporation of a tailor-made terpolymer synthesized from methyl methacrylate (MMA), hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA), and tert-butyl acrylate (tBA), which hydrolyzes into PMMA-co-PHEA-co-PAA. Unlike conventional single-polymer systems, this multifunctional terpolymer provides synergistic reinforcement by integrating hydrophobic, hydroxyl, and carboxyl functionalities. The polymer was added at 0%–0.750% by cement weight. Mechanical testing and multi-scale analyses (FT-IR, XRD, SEM, 1H-NMR) revealed a remarkable 94% increase in flexural strength at 0.750% polymer, attributed to interpenetrating polymer networks bridging micro-defects and distributing stress uniformly. Compressive strength peaked at 0.125% due to microstructural densification but declined at higher dosages because of polymer-induced porosity. These findings demonstrate a tunable balance between strength and toughness, positioning PMMA-co-PHEA-co-PAA as a next-generation polymer additive for crack-resistant, flexible cementitious materials.