Performance Evaluation of Cementitious Composites Incorporating Nano Graphite Platelets as Additive Carbon Material

Abstract

Nano graphite platelets (NGPs) belong to the carbon family and have a huge impact on the construction industry. NGPs are used as multi-functional fillers and have the potential to develop reinforcing within cementitious composites. In this paper, NGPs were incorporated in cementitious composites to investigate the effects of NGPs on the fresh, mechanical, durability, and microstructural properties of concrete. Five mixes were prepared with intrusion of NGPs (0%, 0.5%, 1.5%, 3%, and 5% by weight of cement). The properties studied involved workability, air content, hardened density, compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, sorptivity, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), water absorption, and external sulfate attack. The workability and percent air content decrease by 22.5% and 33.8%, respectively, for concrete with 5% NGPs compared to the control mix. The specimens containing 5% of NGPs revealed the hardened density, compressive, tensile, and flexural strength to increase by 11.4%, 38.5%, 31.6%, and 44.34%, respectively, compared to the control mix. The results revealed that the incorporation of 5%NGPs in cementitious composites reduces the sorptivity and water absorption by 32.2% and 73.9%, respectively, whereas, it increases the UPV value by 7.5% compared to the control mix. Furthermore, the incorporation of NGPs provided better resistance against external sulfate attacks. SEM–EDX spectroscopy was carried out to investigate its microstructural analysis.