Study on the Effect of Freeze–Thaw Action on the Electrical Conductivity and Sensing Properties of Graphene-Based Cement Composites

Abstract

Graphene can effectively improve the mechanical and electrical properties of cement-based materials due to its excellent tensile strength, thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity. In this paper, the effects of freeze–thaw on the conductivity and sensing properties of graphene-based cement materials were investigated. After the preparation of graphene-based cement materials, they were subjected to different times of freeze–thaw action. The experiments were designed to analyze the influence of freeze–thaw on the electrical conductivity, humidity sensitivity, thermosensitivity and pressure sensitivity of graphene-based cement composites. The results show that the influence of freeze–thaw on the electrical conductivity of graphene is mainly manifested in the influence on the resistivity and the extension of the polarization time, and the influence on the percolation transition zone is small. After freeze–thaw, the polarization time of the specimen decreases with the increase of the relative water content. The temperature has a great influence on the polarization effect of graphene-based cement composites and the composites with graphene content of the zone B still show satisfactory pressure-sensitive property after freeze–thaw.

Insights into the Mechanism of Graphene Acting on Water and Chloride Ion Permeability of Cement-Based Materials

“…Cement-based materials are the most widely used materials for construction projects. With the rapid development of the economy and the vigorous progression of urbanization, higher requirements are presented for cement-based materials, such as their mechanical performance and durability [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. The hydration process of cement plays an important role in dictating the performance of cement-based materials.…”