Mechanical properties of highly dispersed carbon nanotubes reinforced cement-based materials

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered as ideal candidates for preparation of high performance cement-based composites due to their remarkable mechanical properties. Dispersion of CNTs is the crucial step while using CNTs in cement-based materials, while poor dispersion could lead to performance reduction of materials. In this paper, an effective dispersion method of MWCNTs by applying ultrasonic energy and in combination with surfactants was developed. The effects of surfactant type on the dispersion of MWCNTs were systematically investigated. Additionally, experiments are carried out to investigate the influence of concentration of MWCNTs on the mechanical properties of cement paste. The results show that a stable MWCNTs suspensions could be manufactured via the addition of surfactants and the stability of MWCNTs suspensions appears to be related to the ionic nature of the surfactant. Furthermore, the addition of MWCNTs is justified to enhance the flexural strength and compressive strength of the cement-based materials remarkably.