Basic properties of epoxy cement mortars without hardener after outdoor exposure

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the properties of epoxy cement mortars without a hardener after outdoor exposure for a year. The epoxy cement mortars with and without a hardener were prepared for various polymer cement ratios, and tested for their weight change, flexural and compressive strengths, water absorption, carbonation depth and pore size distribution. Especially, the basic properties of the epoxy cement mortars without a hardener were compared with those of epoxy cement mortars with a hardener and those of ordinary cement mortar. The test results showed the successful production of the epoxy cement mortars without any hardener, which gave better strength and durability than ones with a hardener. Polymer–cement ratios of 5–10% for strengths and less than 20% for durability are recommended for optimum mix proportions of epoxy cement mortars without a hardener.