METHODOLOGY

This research involves two parts (i) Synthesis (ii) Characterization

(i)

Synthesis: Thin film will be deposited on hydrated cement substrate. The

thickness of thin film will be at low nano level to begin with. The selection of polymer will be depend on several factors such as mechanical properties, hydrophiliciy, ease of insitu polymerization etc. For cement substrate, different stages of hydration and different degrees of hydration will be considered.

(ii)

Characterization: Mainly nano mechanical characterization technique will be

applied to characterize the interface. Nano indentation and nano-scratching will be performed. FTIR will be applied to understand the bond formation at this interface. AFM will be applied to understand the deformation behavior at the interface