International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology (IJEAT) ISSN: 2249 – 8958, Volume-8 Issue-3, February 2019 294 Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering & Sciences Publication Retrieval Number: C5884028319 /19©BEIESP Strength of Cement Mortar Using Nano Oxides: An Experimental Study Mohan Kantharia, Pankaj Mishra, M.K. Trivedi Abstract: Cement mortar is one of the important materials which plays key role in maximising the durability of a building. Strength, permeability, thermal insulation, freeze and thaw resistance, Chloride-ion penetration, carbonation, hydration, weathering are the factors affecting the overall performance of the cement mortar. So many new ingredients are being used as admixture have been investigated for making the mortar of high performance. Various nano materials are constituting the advance engineering products with smart working. Some industrial waste like blast furnace slag, fly ash, silica fume, also incorporated in cement concrete for making mortar economical. In this Experimental study nano oxide of Zinc, aluminium, and silicon have been investigated in cement mortar and compared. It is found that all nano materials are not having the similar effect. Key Words: - Nano Zinc oxide, compressive strength, cement mortar. I. INTRODUCTION In modern construction work cement is an essential component. In modern concrete technology nano particles are widely employed for getting noble properties. During Last 20-25 years the use of nano materials is increased tremendously, because of high specific surface area the reactivity of nano particles is very high. In other fields such as medicine, glass industry, paints nano technology has been already proved beneficial, nowadays, scientists’ interest rapidly growing in use of nano particles in cementing materials for durability and engineering properties. During 20 th century the strength of concrete up to 50 MPa was considered as High-performance concrete, but with advancement of construction technology now concrete 150 MPa is known as high performance concrete, now even Ultra high-performance concrete can be produced. Extensive research Has been done for making concrete more advance by many admixtures, pozzolans, polymers etc. Some researchers have shown that by adding nano particles the cement concrete become stronger and sensitive to temperature and strain. However, cost will also increase slightly. Generally, superplasticizers are used with nano materials because they reduce workability. Nano particles are very fine hence fill the micro-pores of the materials hence affect the properties of the material, due to pore filling, compressive strength and permeability affected. Nano material increases the crystallization in hydrates, water permeability decreases. Revised Manuscript Received on 24 February 2019. Mohan Kantharia, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Amity School of Engineering and Technology Amity University Madhya Pradesh. India. Dr. Pankaj Mishra, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Amity School of Engineering and Technology Amity University Madhya Pradesh. India. Dr. Manoj Kumar, Trivedi, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Madhav Institute of Technology and Science Gwalior India. Nano particles not only fills the voids, improves hydration reaction, also by pozzolanic reactions with calcium hydroxide make more CSH gel which improves the mechanical strength and durability. To understand the effect on hydration of cement many nano materials have been experimented by using ZnO 2 , Cr 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 Multiwalled carbon nanotube etc. II. LITERATURE SURVEY A. Addition of nano alumina in cement mortar Many researchers have shown the improvement in mechanical properties by adding nano alumina. Compressive strength split tensile strength, workability, setting time etc varied while nano admixtures are used. Many properties of cement concrete may be corelated to compressive and tensile strength, hence measurement of these properties is mandatory. M. R. Arefi et al (2011). In this work alumina is added to cement and found that up to 3 % improvement in strength is seen, then decreases. images for SEM also shows that calcium hydroxide reduces at 3% nano alumina. but at 5% alumina strength decreases, this may be due to nano particle are more than the required to combined with lime which liberated during hydration process. thus, excess silica leaches cause deficiency in strength. high surface area of nano to be added in correct quantity otherwise their agglomeration appears. Because of high surface area nano particles consume liberated Ca(OH) 2 and fill the voids of C- S-H gel denser microstructure produces more compressive strength. Ali Nazari et al (2010). They have investigated that nano alumina in cement mortar improves the split tensile strength and flexural strength and setting time has decreased. Best results are found at 1 % of alumina while more than 2% strength decreases than control mix. Curing time was 7, 28, 90 days. higher percentage of admixture excess silica leaches cause strength deficiency. Increase in strength may be due to rapid consumption of calcium hydroxide which formed during hydration. Setting times decreases because of higher specific surface area has faster hydration reaction. In this paper nano alumina of average diameter 15 nm was used workability and compressive strength were found. Four samples of admixtures 0.5 %, 1.0%, 1.5 % and 2 % and concluded that at 1 % alumina best results in strength. Workability decreases at higher % of nano alumina giving low slump value. therefore, use of super plasticizer is necessary. B. Addition of nano Zinc Oxide in cement mortar Using ZnO, and Al-ZnO, enhances mechanical properties.