Ultrahigh Performance Nanoengineered Graphene–Concrete Composites for Multifunctional Applications

Abstract

Additional information: Use policyThe full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that:• a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.Please consult the full DRO policy for further details. Their growth and mechanical interlocking over time are the most significant factors in shaping the material properties of concrete. The outstanding chemical and physical properties of nanomaterials provide the most efficient enhancement for the internal matrix of concrete, and recent progress in nanomodification of cement composite materials has enabled applications in structural reinforcement, reduction of environmental pollution, [2] and production of self-cleaning materials. [3] Previous studies [4][5][6][7][8][9][10] have largely focused on the incorporation of nanomaterials in cement. These include the incorporation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) [7] and graphene oxide (GO) [4,5] in cement which resulted in a 50% (for CNT) and a 33% (for GO) improvement of the compressive strength, while industrial-grade thin graphite platelets (100 nm thickness) [6] were shown to improve the thermal conductivity. However, these findings do not extend directly to concrete, as the addition of sand and aggregate changes the physico-mechanical behavior of the material. Moreover, to date the role of atomically thin materials on nanoengineering of concrete is yet to be explored, and this holds the promise to change the landscape of construction materials leading to a more sustainable urbanization with lower carbon foot print and more resilient constructions against natural disasters.Here we report innovative few-atoms-thin graphene-enabled nanoengineered multifunctional concrete composites which display an unprecedented range of enhanced properties compared to standard concrete. We demonstrate an extraordinary increase of up to 146% in the compressive strength, up to 79.5% in the flexural one, and a decrease in the maximum displacement due to compressive loading by 78%. At the same Nanoegineered Concrete

Graphene Nanoplatelets-Based Advanced Materials and Recent Progress in Sustainable Applications

“…The outstanding mechanical properties of single layer graphene, GnPs and GO, led to a new generation of improved plastic-based structural materials [17,142,143]. For example, these 2D carbon-based fillers are attractive for the realization of next generation sporting goods [144], concrete [145], anti-corrosion coatings [146], automotive lightweight components [147], structural elements in aerospace [148], and wind turbine designs [149]. In particular, GnP powder is already produced at large scales and at a low price compared with single-layer graphene, and as such, is more appealing for the composite market [150].…”

Review on the research progress of cement-based and geopolymer materials modified by graphene and graphene oxide

“…The re-sults show that the addition of 0.02wt% GO (by fly ash weight) significantly improves the mechanical properties and durability of the fly ash base polymer, and GO has the potential to improve the fixation of heavy metals in fly ash. Dimov et al [109] found that when water-stabilized graphene dispersion was added to concrete, its mechani-cal strength and impermeability were greatly improved. Its compressive strength and flexural strength were increased by 146% and 79.5%, water permeability was reduced by nearly 400%, and electrical and thermal properties were also found to be enhanced.…”

Elucidation of Conduction Mechanism in Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNPs)/Cement Composite Using Dielectric Spectroscopy

“…A small amount of GNPs reduces the percentage of macropores, even though the total porosity is slightly affected suggesting a broader distribution of small gel pores in the composite. Moreover, during the hydration process, C-S-H particles bonded to graphene flakes act as a nucleation site and promote the growth of C-S-H gel with higher crystallinity degree [92]. Under this scenario, we can explain the increase of ionic conductivity in relation with the enhancement of ordered C-S-H gel that promote a smoother diffusion of water molecules through the porous network.…”

“…A small amount of GNPs reduces the percentage of macropores, even though the total porosity is slightly affected suggesting a broader distribution of small gel pores in the composite. Moreover, during the hydration process, C-S-H particles bonded to graphene flakes act as a nucleation site and promote the growth of C-S-H gel with higher crystallinity degree [92]. Under this scenario, we can Trying to elucidate how the presence of graphene nanoplatelets affect conductivity in cement paste, we summarize the main results of this work: First we observed an enhancement of the electrical properties in the composite by means of impedance response study, while dielectric response investigation proved that the main mechanism of charge transport is water percolation.…”