CHARACTERIZATION OF EPOXY RESIN AND SILLE STONE POWDER BASED COMPOSITE MORTARS

Sille stone, extracted from the Sille region of Konya (Türkiye) province, is an andesitic stone used in the construction of historical buildings. Sille stone is subject to deterioration due to long-term natural and environmental factors. Repair mortars are used to prevent damage to the stones used in the construction of historical buildings. In this study, Epoxy resin (ER)/Sille stone powder (SSP) composite mortars were produced for the restoration of historical buildings and the properties of these composite mortars were investigated. In the production of composite mortars were prepared by contributing SSP into epoxy resin in varied ratios such as 60-75% wt.%. When 60% SSP filler was added to the ER matrix, the compressive strength of the resulting composite increased by approximately 66% compared to neat ER. Moreover, an increase in mechanical strength and a decrease in water absorption were observed in composite mortars due to the increase in SSP. In conclusion, the high strength, low water absorption rate and pore properties of epoxy matrix composite mortars provide great potential for restoration applications of historical buildings constructed from Sille stone.