Abstract
In this paper, the influence of graphene oxide (GO) on the microstructure of interfacial transition zone (ITZ) in cement mortar was investigated through image analysis (IA) of backscattered electron (BSE) micrographs. The results showed that the incorporation of GO significantly reduced the thickness of ITZ. The porosity in ITZ and bulk paste decreased due to the introduction of GO; meanwhile, the compressive strength of the mortar samples was improved. The addition of GO also narrowed the gap between the porosity of ITZ and bulk paste, and therefore, the entire microstructure of mortar became more homogenous. Based on the above results, the model to predict the compressive strength of mortar was modified for better precision. The improved prediction model indicated that the difference between the compressive strength of ITZ and bulk paste was reduced upon the refinement of ITZ by GO.
Highlights
Graphene oxide (GO) has Young’s modulus and tensile strength of approximately 1100 GPa and 125 GPa, respectively, and the super-high specific surface of approximately 2600 m2/g [1]
This is due to the reason that with an increase in the w/b, more water would be available in the system, which has the tendency to be blocked by the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) thickness Volume fraction of ITZ in the mortar (%)
The effect of GO on ITZ of mortar was investigated through segmentation of backscattered electron (BSE) images
Summary
Graphene oxide (GO) has Young’s modulus and tensile strength of approximately 1100 GPa and 125 GPa, respectively, and the super-high specific surface of approximately 2600 m2/g [1]. Such properties enable GO to act as reinforcement material in concrete to improve its mechanical performance. The elastic modulus of concrete increased from 3.48 GPa to 3.70 GPa. Lv et al [3] reported that merely 0.02 wt% of GO could improve the tensile strength and flexural strength of cement paste by 97.2% and 84.5%, respectively
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