Developments and Applications of Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Cement-Based Composites as Functional Building Materials

Abstract

Carbon nanotube (CNT) is a promising nanomaterial with excellent mechanical, electrical, thermal, and chemical stability. It has received extensive attention due to its unique multifunctional properties in engineering materials. Researchers have explored the preparation and characterization of CNT reinforced cement-based materials. Studies have shown that adding CNT will significantly improve the performance of cement-based materials. This article introduces the techniques for the dispersion characterization of CNT and summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of these techniques. The functionalized applications of CNT in cement-based materials are reviewed, including sensing performance, structural health monitoring of concrete, electromagnetic shielding, and other applications. In addition, the application and development prospects of CNT in 3D printing concrete have been prospected. Finally, we discussed the existing problems and challenges in developing and applying CNT in cement-based materials and suggested future research.

Study on Carbonation Resistance of Polymer-Modified Sulphoaluminate Cement-Based Materials

“…The CO 2 gas in the air penetrates the pores of the concrete and chemically reacts with the carbonate substances in the pores. Carbonate substances are produced in the hydration process of sulphoaluminate cement, mainly AFt, AFm, and gels C-A-S-H, C-S-H, and aluminum hydroxide gel (AH 3 ) produced by hydration [ 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”

Study of Dispersion, Hydration, and Microstructure of Graphene Nanoplates-Modified Sulfoaluminate Cement Paste

“…Currently, the commonly used dispersion methods include physical and chemical dispersion. Physical dispersion includes dry mixing, ball milling, and combining the surfactant with ultrasonic dispersion [ 21 ]. Chemical dispersion is mainly achieved by changing the atomic structure of graphene and introducing functional groups on GNPs through covalent chemical modification to improve the dispersion of GNPs in water [ 21 ].…”

“…Physical dispersion includes dry mixing, ball milling, and combining the surfactant with ultrasonic dispersion [ 21 ]. Chemical dispersion is mainly achieved by changing the atomic structure of graphene and introducing functional groups on GNPs through covalent chemical modification to improve the dispersion of GNPs in water [ 21 ]. The oxygen-containing functional groups of graphene significantly enhance the dispersibility of graphene in water, and uniformly dispersed GNPs can improve the mechanical properties of cement-based materials to varying degrees.…”

Influence of Graphene Nanoplates on Dispersion, Hydration Behavior of Sulfoaluminate Cement Composites

“…The high brittleness and high porosity of cement-based materials severely limit their use of cement-based materials. Therefore, many researchers have completed a lot of research on strengthening and toughening cement-based materials, such as adding nanomaterials such as carbon tubes [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], limestone powder [ 17 ], graphene [ 18 ], whiskers [ 19 ], and steel fibers [ 20 ]. As a two-dimensional carbon material, graphene nanoplates (GNPs) have a thickness of less than 100 nm and a diameter of several microns [ 21 ].…”