Abstract
In this paper, we show for the first time that environmentally friendly nanoplatelets synthesized from sugar beetroot waste with surface area and hydroxyl functional groups similar to those of graphene oxide (GO) can be used to significantly enhance the performance of cementitious composites. A comprehensive experimental and numerical simulation study was carried out to examine the performance of the bio waste-derived 2D nanoplatelets (BNP) in cementitious composites. The experimental results revealed that the addition of BNPs decreased the workability of the cement pastes due to their high surface area and dominant hydrophilic functional groups. The experimental results also revealed that the BNP sheets altered the morphology of the hydration phases of the cementitious composites. At 0.20-wt%, the BNP sheets increased the content of the C-S-H gels. At higher concentrations (i.e., 0.40-wt% and 0.60-wt%), however, the BNP sheets increased the content of the calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) products and altered their sizes and morphologies.The flexural results demonstrated that the 0.20-wt% BNPs produced the highest flexural strength and modulus elasticity and they were increased by 75% and 200%, respectively. The numerical simulations were in good agreement with the fracture test results. Both results showed that the 0.20-wt% BNPs optimal concentration significantly enhanced the fracture properties of the cementitious composite and produced mixed mode crack propagation as a failure mode compared to Mode I crack propagation for the plain cementitious composite due to combined crack bridging and crack deflection toughening mechanisms. Because of this, the fracture energy and the fracture toughness were increased by about 88% and 106%, respectively.
Highlights
A great deal of research efforts has been devoted to improving the performance of cementitious composites using different nanoscale additives
We demonstrate for the first time that nanoplatelets synthesized from food waste such as sugar beetroot can be used as a low-cost and renewable reinforcing material in cementitious materials
The proposed BNP sheets exhibit some characteristics of graphene oxide (GO) such as hydrophilic functional groups, high specific area and good dispersibility in water
Summary
A great deal of research efforts has been devoted to improving the performance of cementitious composites using different nanoscale additives. [5, 6] and nano-CaCO3 [7, 8] were found to exhibit improved mechanical properties and durability characteristics This is because the high specific area of nanoparticles accelerates the hydration of cement, resulting in more Calcium Silicate Hydrate (C-S-H) gels. Due to their small particle size, the nanoparticles tend to act as fillers, which results in a denser microstructure. The two dimensional (2D) GO is being considered as an ideal candidate for reinforcing cementitious composites due to its distinctive Properties such as large specific area, excellent mechanical properties and high dispersibility in water due to hydroxyl functional groups on its surface [12]. The cracking behavior and the failure mode of the BNP cementitious composites were examined and validated using numerical modelling
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