Experimental study on polymer-modified mortars with silica fume applied to fix porcelain tile

The combination of polymer and silica fume to produce mortars results in excellent properties, which are ideal for repairs and revetments requiring high performance. Such improvements justify its study for the installation of porcelain tiles. This article presents bond strength results for mortars containing different amounts of polymer and silica fume indicating the applicability of these mortars as a construction material. The interface between the porcelain and the mortars was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of flat polished sections and pore mean diameter was obtained by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP).