Improving the Mechanical Properties of Mortars by the Addi-tion of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

The evolution of construction engineering depends on the development of cementitious materials with optimized properties and lower environmental impacts, such as the preparation of mortars with higher mechanical resistance and durability. Nanotechnology is a promising area for industrial innovation, enhancing materials’ properties, like durability and mechanical performance. Thus, herein we prepared mortars incorporating ZnO nanoparticles and evaluated their properties. The results showed that smaller percentages of ZnO presented a better performance for consistency tests, and all samples containing ZnO showed higher mechanical resistance than the reference. Thus, suggesting the great potential of nanoparticles in optimizing the mechanical properties of mortars.