Performance of polymer-modified self-leveling mortars with high polymer-cement ratio for floor finishing

Recently, polymer-modified mortar has been studied for proposed use on industrial floors as top coat with thin thickness, typically 5 - 15 mm. The purpose of this study is to evaluate basic properties of self-leveling materials using polymer dispersions as kinds of SBR latex, PAE and St/BA emulsions for thin coatings (under 3 mm in thickness). Superplasticizer and thickener have been included in the mixes to reduce bleeding and drying shrinkage as well as to facilitate the workability required. The self-leveling materials using four types of polymer dispersion are prepared with polymer-cement ratios of 50% and 75%, and were tested for basic characteristics such as density, flow, consistency change and adhesion in tension. The test results showed that the self-leveling mortars using PAE emulsion at a curing age of 28 days were almost equal to those of conventional floor using urethane and epoxy resins. The adhesion in tension of self-leveling mortars using SBR latex and PAE emulsion at a curing age of 3 days is over 1.67 MPa. It was noted that the consistency change is strongly dependent on the type of polymer dispersion. It is concluded that the self-leveling mortars with polymer dispersions can be used in the same manner as conventional floor-finishing materials using thermosetting resin in practical applications. (C) 2002 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.