Mechanical Degradation and Thermal Decomposition of Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA) Polymer-Modified Cement Mortar (PCM) Exposed to High-Temperature

A polymer-modified cement mortar (PCM) is widely used as a repair material for reinforced concrete (RC) structures owing to its excellent strength and durability. However, considering the maintenance of the RC structures and the use period of the structures, the change in the physical properties of the PCM should be evaluated when exposed to various high-temperature environments, such as fires. In this study, the degradation of the mechanical properties (compressive strength and modulus of elasticity), thermal decomposition of the PCM in various high-temperature environments, and the change in the pore structure of the PCM after exposure to high temperatures were quantitatively investigated. A mechanical property evaluation of PCM was performed under three heating conditions: (i) heating in a compression tester, (ii) heating the specimen in an oven to a predetermined temperature and then moving it to a compression tester preheated to the same temperature, and (iii) cooling to room temperature after heating. In the experiment, a PCM specimen was prepared by changing the polymer–cement ratio (polymer content) of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), the most commonly used polymer, to perform a high-temperature sectional test from 200 to 800 °C. In addition, to investigate the change in the PCM mechanical properties in the high-temperature region, in terms of the pyrolysis of EVA, the porosity change and mass change were examined using thermal analysis and mercury intrusion porosimetry. Before heating, the compressive strength of the PCM increased with the EVA content up to 10 % of the polymer–cement ratio. Under the cooling conditions after heating up to 200 °C, the mechanical performance of the PCM was restored, whereas the degradation of the mechanical properties of the PCM without cooling was more pronounced. Furthermore, the mass loss, heat flow, and the total porosity of the PCM increased as the EVA content increased, which is correlated with the degradation of the mechanical properties of the PCM.