CHEMICALLY BONDED CERAMICS BASED ON ADVANCED HIGH STRENGTH CEMENT MATERIALS

RESEARCH WILL BE CARRIED OUT TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF CHEMICALLY BONDED CERAMICS (CBC) BASED ON HIGH STRENGTH CEMENTS AS REPLACEMENT MATERIALS IN VARIOUS HIGH TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS. ADVANCED CEMENTS HAVE STRENGTHS AT LEAST AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE HIGHER THAN CONVENTIONAL CEMENT PRODUCTS. COUPLED WITH LOW MATERIAL COSTS AND EASY LOW TEMPERATURE FABRICATION METHODS, THESE MATERIALS OFFER SUBSTANTIAL COST/PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGES IN RELATION TO OTHER MATERIALS (PLASTICS, CERAMICS, METALS). THE PURPOSE OF THIS WORK IS TO DEVELOP METHODS OF FURTHER ENHANCING STRENGTH, TOUGHNESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL DURABILITY (PARTICULARLY THE WATER SENSITIVITY) BY CHEMICAL MODIFICATION AND MICROSTRUCTURAL POROSITY CONTROL. STUDIES WILL BE MADE ON PORTLAND CEMENT AND HIGH ALUMINA CEMENT BUT WILL ALSO INCLUDE OTHER INORGANIC CEMENTITIOUS SYSTEMS SUCH PHOSPHATE AND SULPHATE. THE DESIGN OF REINFORCED COMPOSITES WILL ALSO BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THIS STUDY SINCE IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT HIGH STRENGTH CEMENT MATRICES WILL PROVIDE SYNERGISTIC ENHANCEMENT OF MECHANICAL PROPERTIES, NOT POSSIBLE IN ORDINARY CEMENT COMPOSITES.