Abstract
Excellent mechanical properties and chemical stability make carbon nanotubes (CNTs) some of the most promising nanomaterials that can be used in cementitious composites to improve their performance. However, the difficulty of CNTs’ dispersion within the cementitious structure still exists and thus prevents the homogeneous distribution of CNTs. The homogeneous distribution of CNTs within a composite structure plays an essential role that can have a positive effect on the mechanical performance of CNT-cement composites. This paper introduces the methods for the production of CNTs and provides useful information about the influence of CNTs on the flowability, mechanical performance, microstructural changes and hydration of cement composites. The influences of water-cement ratio, used surfactants and various doses of CNTs on the properties of cementitious composites were also studied.
Highlights
Concrete is one of the most frequently used materials in the construction industry worldwide
The study results show that the flexural strength of concrete increased until 0.4 wt% of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and started decreasing
The study results indicate that composites of plain CNT concrete without chemical admixtures have a significant increase in compressive strength, while a slight decrease in compressive strength was noticed with chemical admixtures
Summary
Concrete is one of the most frequently used materials in the construction industry worldwide. Excellent performance characteristics of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) make them an attractive material [4,5], able to increase the mechanical performance of cement-based composites. CNTs functionalized with -COOH (carboxyl) and -OH (hydroxyl) were introduced They can affect the physical properties of cement and might result in chemical reactions [12] that influence the mechanical and microstructural performance [13] of concrete. In addition to improved mechanical and structural performance, the properties of fresh cement-based composites, such as flowability, are influenced by the incorporation of CNTs. Literature studies show that CNTs caused the flowability of cement paste and mortar to decrease [7,14,15].
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