Mechanical and thermal insulation properties of cement mortar enhanced with bone cement microspheres based on nanoporous structures

• Published in: Construction & building materials 2024-11, Vol.451, p.138897, Article 138897
• Main Authors: Fan, Shencheng, Li, Cao, Huang, Shengjing, Wang, Peihui, Deng, Shuyi, Lai, Fang, Li, Jing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Calcium phosphate microspheres; Cement mortar; Enhanced mechanical properties; Nanoporous structure; Thermal conductivity
• ISSN: 0950-0618
• DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2024.138897

To effectively reduce building energy consumption and enhance energy efficiency of structures, this study synthesized calcium phosphate (CaP) bone cement microspheres with nanoporous structure via hydrothermal methods and then prepared CaP microsphere cement mortar. Through mechanical properties test, microstructural characterization, and software simulation, the impacts of CaP microspheres on the mechanical and thermal insulation properties of cement mortar were investigated. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of CaP porous microspheres not only enhanced the mechanical interlocking between the CaP porous microspheres and cement mortar but also increased the specific surface area within the cement, which led to an increase in mechanical and thermal insulation properties of the cement mortar. After seven days of curing, the 0.05 % CaP cement mortar exhibited increases of 14.6 % in flexural strength and 17.75 % in compressive strength compared to the reference cement. At 28 days, these strengths increased by 6.73 % and 11.51 %, respectively. Additionally, thermal conductivity measurements at 20°C, 25°C, and 30°C showed reductions of 19.3 %, 19.6 %, and 18.5 %, respectively. This study introduces innovative cement additive approaches for enhancing cement-base building materials. [Display omitted] •Developed a nanoporous calcium phosphate bone cement microsphere additive.•Devised a simple, low-energy synthesis method.•Enhanced both the mechanical and thermal insulation properties of cement mortar.•Offered new insights for energy-efficient design in cement-based building materials.