Effect of nano-CaCO3 on the physical properties of fly ash mortars

Abstract

In this study, the effects of nano-CaCO3 addition to mortars with fly ash at different rates on mortar properties were investigated. For this purpose, blended cement mixtures were prepared by using F class fly ash at 15%, 30% and 45% replacement level with CEM I 42.5 Portland cement in weight basis. A total of 12 different mortar compositions were prepared by adding nano-CaCO3 at 1% and 2% by weight of the binder material in the mortar mixtures. In the preparation of the mortars, the water/binder ratio was kept constant as 0.5 and the sand/binder ratio was 3. The samples produced were kept in the curing pool at 21±1 °C for water curing until the 28th day; unit weight, water absorption and porosity tests were performed to examine the physical properties of the samples. As a result of the experimental studies, the addition of 1% and 2% nano-CaCO3 was very useful in filling the voids in the mortar and significantly improved the physical properties of the mortars.