Synthesis of novel chitosan/modified zeolite nanocomposites and their effect on the mechanical properties of cement mortars

In this paper, a novel nanocomposite containing biodegradable chitosan [CS] and modified zeolite [mZeo] was introduced as a cement eco-nano additive and its effects on the mechanical properties of cement mortars were evaluated. The proposed nanocomposite was prepared by using a synergistic sonication-microwave method. The surface morphology and chemical compositions of mZeo and CS/mZeo nanocomposites were determined using SEM, FTIR, XRF, and BET. Compressive and flexural strength of cement mortars containing mZeo and CS/mZeo in ratios of 0%, 0.2%, 0.5%, 1% and 2% by mass, were investigated. Experimental results showed a significant improvement in the mechanical properties of mortars containing the proposed nanocomposite. The use of nanoscale zeolite in cementitious composites was attempted for the first time within this study and the results so far have been very promising. Therefore, it is concluded that the proposed nanocomposite has great potential to be used as an alternative eco-nano additive, for cementitious composites.