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On the mechanisms for improved strengths of carbon nanofiber-enriched mortars

Version 2 2024-06-05, 02:59
Version 1 2020-08-06, 11:13
journal contribution
posted on 2024-06-05, 02:59 authored by A Fehervari, Alastair MacLeodAlastair MacLeod, EO Garcez, Laurie AldridgeLaurie Aldridge, Will GatesWill Gates, Y Yang, Frank CollinsFrank Collins
As nanomaterials, carbon nano-fillers have manyfold benefits in concrete applications, and while of considerable research interest, their impacts on cement phases are still not fully understood. We applied multiple techniques, including mercury intrusion porosimetry, X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetry, infrared spectroscopy and electron microscopy to investigate in detail the effects of a pre-mixed carbon nanofiber admixture in mortars. The addition of carbon nanofibers was observed to: (i) alter pore structure to a lower total porosity with greater proportion of micropores, (ii) delay the hydration reaction of alite, (iii) shift hydration of alite towards the formation of portlandite and (iv) foster formation of calcium carbonate phases. The ensemble of results indicate that improved performance is unlikely to be due to formation of additional calcium silicate hydrates, as has been suggested in the literature, but instead is due to the combined effect of nano-fiber bridging and pore-filling by portlandite and calcium carbonates.

History

Journal

Cement and Concrete Research

Volume

136

Article number

ARTN 106178

Pagination

1 - 12

Location

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

ISSN

0008-8846

eISSN

1873-3948

Language

English

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Publisher

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD