Polymer-impregnated cement(PIC) were prepared from fine cement using various initial water:cement ratios, cured for various durations in the saturated solution of calcium hydroxide, and by using styrene or methyl methacrylate, which were polymerized by a thermal catalytic method.
The flexural strengths of polymer-impregnated cement(PIC) were improved about 4 times over those of hardened cement pastes near the saturation point of monomer. The change in the porosity due to polymers affected the flexural strengths of PIC relatively less than its compressive strengths. Attempts to relate flexural strength to total porosity have been met with only limited success. It revealed additional factors which affect the flexural properties of PIC, such as the pore size distribution of the cement, the average molecular weight of the polymer inside the porous matrix, the degree of hydration of the cement matrix, and the interaction between the cement matrix and polymers.
