Research on electrical conductivity of graphene/cement composites

Abstract

Graphene can be used in cement-based materials to enhance their electrical properties. In this work, electrical conductivity measurements on graphene/cement nanocomposites were performed using the four-probe method. The influences of graphene content, water/cement ratio, curing age and water content on the electrical conductivity of the system were studied. The micro-morphology of the composites was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that electrical conductivity increases with increasing graphene content, which can be explained by percolation theory. A logistic function is introduced to describe the relationship between the electrical conductivity of the system and graphene content. SEM observation revealed that the conductivity of system depends on the distribution and connection of graphene in the cement matrix. When the graphene content exceeded a threshold concentration, curing age and water content had little influence on the electrical conductivity of system. The findings provide an important guide for research on the electrical properties of graphene/cement composites.