In this study, we studied the physical and mechanical properties of polymer composite with wastes that incorporating boron. The polymer composites were produced with epoxy based resin and wastes as mineral additive. The wastes were added to mixtures in different ratio by replacing the resin from 0 to 66% by weight. Slump-flow and viscosity tests are carried out on fresh samples after mixing. Composites were cured in air condition and they were de-molded after 24 hours. They gain ultimate strength after 7 days. Therefore, tests for characteristics were performed on 7 aged specimens. On the polymer composite samples, compressive strength, flexural strength, wear resistance, water absorption and density tests were performed. As a result, addition of the wastes that including boron increased the compressive strength of polymer composites; however, it made the composites more brittle material with low flexural strength.

The measurement of zeta potential (ZP) has important applications in a wide range of industries including ceramics, pharmaceuticals, medicine, mineral processing, electronics, cement industry and water treatment. It provides new information on cement hydration, gel structure formation and the effects of chemical and mineral admixtures. In this study, ZP and pH measurements of Portland cement suspension prepared at wt% 1 cement/water ratio in the presence of four different types of waters, i.e., pure water, tap water, and salted (NaCl and CaCl ₂ ) water, were carried out depending on the time. Also, vicat tests of Portland cement pastes prepared at a water-to-cement ratio of 0.34 were performed. After the vicat tests, X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy investigations were performed on the samples. The most important result obtained from this study is that setting time and time-dependent ZP values of Portland cement paste have different values depending on the used mixing water type. Among the water types, water with CaCl ₂ gives the lowest ZP as absolute value, so this leads to minimum initial and final setting times for the cement paste prepared with this type of water.