Effect of styrene acrylic ester polymer on mortar render properties

Abstract

This paper summarizes some the important findings from a research project designed to study the effect of inclusion of styrene acrylic ester (SAE) polymer as an additive, on the properties of mortar render. Properties studied included shrinkage, compressive, tensile and adhesive strengths, water absorption, workability and durability. From test specimens cast using polymer/cement content (PCC) from 0 to 0.44 under laboratory conditions, an increase in adhesive strength from 0.3 to 2.6MPa, a decrease in shrinkage from 0.09% to 0.05% and a decrease in water absorption from 15% to 7% were observed. Among the six PCC tested in this study, it was found that mortar specimens prepared with 0.06 PCC obtained using 8% of SAE latex concentration has the most consistent performance and durability for rendering purposes. The resuls reflect the importance of having a proper mix design especially when mortar render is exposed to direct harsh weathering. This report resulted with recommendations for mix design of mortar render in the achievement of good physical performance when using mortar render.