Effect of different forms of silica on the physical and mechanical properties of gypsum plaster composites

A. A. Khalil, A. Tawfik, A. A. Hegazy, M. F. El-Shahat
2013 Materiales de Construccion  
Gypsum plaster/silica composites prepared by dry blending (0.2-10 %) natural sand, silica fume or silica gel and subsequently hydrated. Their physical and mechanical properties, including normal consistency, setting time, apparent porosity, bulk density and compressive strength, were determined after hydration for 7-and 28-days. The results indicated that adding different forms of silica lowered the bulk density and increased the normal consistency, setting time, apparent porosity and, to some
more » ... imited extent, compressive strength of the composites. This improvement in properties can be attributed to the existence of silica in the interstitial pores in the hardened plaster matrices. While most of the composites revealed only scant rises in compressive strength, their composition was beneficial in so far as it included either a readily available low-cost constituent (sand) or industrial by-products. Consequently, the formed plaster-silica composites are of economic value, contribute to a cleaner environment by minimizing waste and can be used for applications where high porosity, lightweight units are required or recommended for low-cost buildings. Influencia de distintas fuentes de sílice en las propiedades físicas y mecánicas de materiales derivados del yeso Effect of different forms of silica on the physical and mechanical properties of gypsum plaster composites The physical and mechanical properties of the plaster / silica composites were determined according to ASTM
doi:10.3989/mc.2013.04312 fatcat:x3arbgwfqnevlkj3ib2ox5rxpy