Mechanical properties and microstructure of a graphene oxide-cement composite

Abstract

Graphene oxide (GO) is the product of chemical exfoliation of graphite. Due to its good dispersibility in water, high aspect ratio and excellent mechanical properties, GO is a potential candidate for use as nanoreinforcements in cement-based materials. In this paper, GO was used to enhance the mechanical properties of ordinary Portland cement paste. The introduction of 0.05 wt% GO can increase the GO-cement composite compressive strength by 15-33% and the flexural strength by 41-59%, respectively. Scanning electron microscope imaging of the GO-cement composite shows the high crack tortuosity, indicating that the two-dimensional GO sheet may form a barrier to crack propagation. Consequently, ..