Preparation of In(OH)3@GO with high surface roughness and its effect on the hydration performance, microstructures and mechanical properties of cement composites

Abstract

The smooth surface of graphene oxide (GO) leads to a limited interaction with hydrated cement paste, which severely compromises its benefits to improve the properties of cement composites. In this study, GO dispersion (GOD) and indium chloride were employed to prepare In(OH)3 loaded GO (In(OH)3@GO) with high surface roughness and specific surface area. In(OH)3@GO obtained using indium chloride and GOD at a mass ratio of 4:100 (IG-4) exhibited increases in surface roughness and specific surface area of 67.6 % and 49.9 %, respectively, compared to GO without In(OH)3 (IG-0). In(OH)3@GOs were introduced into cement composites to analyse the impacts of varied In(OH)3 loading on mechanical properties, hydration performance and microstructure. Compared to IG-0, GO loaded with various amounts of In(OH)3 exhibited beneficial effects on cement composites. In particular, cement composite with IG-4 exhibited compressive strength improved by 26.4 %, flexural strength improved by 38.1 % and total pore volume reduced by 32.4 %.