Graphene oxide as nano-material in developing sustainable concrete – A brief review

Abstract

Nanomaterials are the most happening research field in material science. Hydration of cement grains and nano pore filling actions in cement matrix occurring at microscopic levels is greatly benefited by the superior surface area, aspect ratios, size, and greater mechanical characteristics of nano sized materials. Many researchers have used nanoparticles as cementitious materials in concrete. Graphene oxide (GO) is one among many nanomaterials with one of its sides in nano sized measurement and the other two sides are on a bigger scale. One of the advantages of GO over other nanoparticles is that the oxygen functionalities and can be easily dispersed under an aqueous medium. This paper sheds light on brief information about nanotechnology, nanomaterials application in concrete, characterization of GO, and various key researches in the usage of GO in producing concrete of desirable properties. Mainly, GO increases the performance of the resulting cement concrete by creating a strong covalent bond with hydration results like C-S-H. Using polycarboxylate ether and silica fumes the dispersion properties can be effectively improved without forming GO agglomerates. High-Performance cement concrete mixes can be produced by making GO form great bonds with other admixtures.