Microstructure Synthesis and Characterization of Carbon Nanofibers Reinforced Cement-Based Composites

Abstract

Abstract In this work, the properties of carbon nanofiber (CNF)-reinforced cement composites, including the microstructure and high-toughness performance, were investigated. The aqueous dispersing method was used along with a common surfactant and ultrasonic processing in order to obtain homogenous distributed CNF suspensions. The weight fractions of incorporated CNFs in the cement matrix were set to be 0, 0.5, 0.075, 0.1, 0.125, and 0.15 %. A high-toughness performance test, nanoindentation process, and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the reinforcement of CNFs in cement composites. Compared with the plain specimen, the addition of CNFs can improve the toughness performance, Young’s modulus, hardness, and microstructure of cement composites. The 0.1 % weight fraction of CNFs obtained the maximum reinforcement among all the tested specimens. The embedded CNFs acted as bridges and networks across the voids and cracks in the matrix, which guaranteed the load transfer in tension. It is noted that the load transfer can be enhanced by embedding CNFs as bridges and networks across the voids and cracks in the composite matrix.