Design of energy-efficient white portland cement mortars for digital fabrication

Abstract

Additive manufacturing, i.e. three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has many advantages over traditional processes and the related technology is continuously improving. This study aims to develop an energy- efficient White Portland cement (WPC) mortar mix suitable for 3D printing applications. The mortar mix contained a blended binder content using Çimsa Recipro50 calcium aluminate cement (CAC) along with Çimsa Super WPC (sWPC). Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials (mPCMs) added to the mix enhance thermal performance through latent heat storage capability. The CAC used in the study has an alumina content of at least 50% Mineralogical analysis of the CAC and sWPC binder were characterized by the XRD-Rietveld method. In terms of material design for 3D printing, printable mortars must be workable enough to be extruded (extrudability) and retain its shape with little or no deformation after extrusion (buildability). In this study, the printability of mortar was evaluated through workability loss, open time, green strength, and early-age compressive strength. Results showed that use of sWCP and CAC composite enables a thixotropic behavior, which is required for 3D printing. The designed mortar mixes can enable high flowability necessary for successful extrusion and have high green strength at fresh state to maintain stable printing. The results also showed that the use of mPCMs can influence printability while improving buildability.