Performance Evolution and Balance in the Curing Mechanism of Inorganic Thermal Insulation Mortar: A Review

Area of Science:

• Building Materials Science
• Sustainable Construction Materials
• Geochemistry of Cements

Background:

• Inorganic thermal-insulation mortars reduce building energy consumption and carbon emissions.
• Their performance is sensitive to curing conditions like temperature, humidity, and ions.
• Understanding curing effects is crucial for optimizing these advanced building materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the impact of various curing regimes on inorganic thermal-insulation mortars.
• To analyze how environmental variables influence mechanical properties, durability, thermal conductivity, and fire resistance.
• To identify optimal curing strategies for balancing material performance.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of studies on inorganic thermal-insulation mortars.
• Analysis of effects of high-temperature, high-humidity, ionic, and special curing conditions.
• Evaluation of microstructural evolution and macroscopic property changes.

Main Results:

• Hydration, geopolymerization, and CO2 curing enhance microstructure and mechanical properties.
• Elevated temperature and humidity accelerate reactions but can negatively impact thermal insulation.
• Wet-dry cycling offers a promising balance between strength development and pore structure preservation.

Conclusions:

• Curing effects depend on a balance between reaction enhancement, pore evolution, and stabilization.
• Optimizing curing requires a system-specific approach to achieve desired performance.
• Future research should focus on tailored curing designs for enhanced building material performance.