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Fracture Toughness, Compressive Strength and Fracture Surface Morphology of Cement Mortars Modified with Nano-SiO2
Wioleta Iskra-Kozak1, Janusz Konkol1, Marek Poręba2
1Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, Rzeszow University of Technology, Poznanska 2, 35084 Rzeszow, Poland.
Abstract:
This study investigates the effect of nano-SiO2 on the mechanical properties and fracture surface morphology of cement composites. The focus was on fracture toughness (KIcS) and compressive strength. Composites with nano-SiO2 showed up to 63% higher fracture toughness and 68% higher compressive strength than unmodified ones. The influence of nano-SiO2 content (0.09-2.91% by binder mass) and water-to-binder ratio (0.43-0.57) was examined using a Central Composite Design. Properties improved with higher nano-SiO2 content and lower w/b ratio. Fractographic analysis using laser profilometry revealed a clear correlation between the fractal dimension (D) of fracture surfaces and KIcS and fcm. Lower D values indicated smoother fracture surfaces and denser microstructures. The results clearly show that changes in the composition-particularly the nano-SiO2 content and the water-to-binder ratio-determine the development of the microstructure, which in turn governs the mechanical properties of the material. Consequently, the study establishes a coherent, quantitative relationship between mixture composition, fracture microstructure, and the macroscopic properties of the composite.
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