A Study of Calcium-Silicate-Hydrate/Polymer Nanocomposites Fabricated Using the Layer-By-Layer Method.

Mahsa Kamali,Ali Ghahremaninezhad

doi:10.3390/ma11040527

Abstract

Calcium-silicate-hydrate (CSH)/polymer nanocomposites were synthesized with the layer-by-layer (LBL) method, and their morphology and mechanical properties were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging and AFM nanoindentation. Different sets of polymers were used to produce CSH/polymer nanocomposites. The effect of different factors including dipping time, calcium to silicate ratios (C/S ratios) and pH on morphology was investigated. CSH/polymer nanocomposites made with different sets of polymers showed variation in morphologies. However, the Young’s modulus did not seem to reveal significant differences between the nanocomposites studied here. In nanocomposites containing graphene oxide (GO) nanosheet, an increase in the density of CSH particles was observed on the GO nanosheet compared to areas away from the GO nanosheet, providing evidence for improved nucleation of CSH in the presence of GO nanosheets. An increase in roughness and a reduction in the packing density in nanocomposites containing GO nanosheets was observed.

Highlights

Improving the mechanical and durability performance of concrete is a way to increase sustainability in infrastructure [1,2]
The silicon wafer was used because of its smoother surface compared to the glass slide so that the amount of noise was reduced significantly. and the thin layer of CSH was detected by X-ray Diffraction (XRD)
CSH/polymer nanocomposites were synthesized with the LBL method, and their morphology and mechanical properties were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging and AFM nanoindentation

Summary

Introduction

Improving the mechanical and durability performance of concrete is a way to increase sustainability in infrastructure [1,2]. Use of organic additives to modify the nanostructure of CSH holds potential as a viable approach to influence the properties of CSH. This approach is inspired by the microstructure of certain biological nanocomposites, such as bones, teeth and the nacre of abalone shells, which exhibit superior engineering performance compared to traditional materials [16,17]. Matsuyama et al [7,8,9] investigated the possibility of intercalation of polymers with different charges into the structure of CSH with various calcium to silicate (C/S) ratios. Alizadeh et al [12]

Objectives

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Conclusion