Highly-Dispersed Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Cement-Based Materials
- Technology Benefits
- Simple processEconomicalScalableCompatible with existing cement fabricationInhibition of cracking at the nanoscale level
- Detailed Technology Description
- Cement compositions and processing to enhance mechanical strength and minimize nanoscale crack formation. #materials #cnt #nanotechnology #fabrication
- *Abstract
-
Northwestern researchers have developed theprocess of creating cement compositions and enhancing their mechanical strengthwhile minimizing nanoscale crack formation. Most construction cements today are hydraulic and are composed oflimestone, certain clay minerals and gypsum. Microfiber reinforcement has led to significant improvement of cementmechanical properties, but flaws at the nanoscale remain. While carbon nanotubes have also been shownto improve mechanical properties, their use is limited by poor dispersion andhigh cost. To this end, Northwesternresearchers have discovered a process that significantly improves themechanical properties of cured cement. Their method utilizes multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) at very lowlevels in conjunction with additives as well as specific mixing methods toprovide excellent MWCNT dispersion in the cement matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysisof fracture surface reveals isolated MWCNT fibers with a high degree ofdispersion in the matrix and an absence of cracking in the cementitiousmatrices at the nanoscale level.
- *Inventors
- Surendra Shah*Maria Konsta-GdoutosZoi Metaxa
- Country/Region
- USA
