Investigation of the effect of graphene on the properties of cementitious materials using various analytical tools

Nanomaterials can improve the performance of cement-based materials. This article discusses the influence of graphene with different substitution rates on the performance of concrete. The addition of graphene will have an adverse effect on slump. The zeta-potential test shows that the addition of graphene leads to the adsorption of cations, which leads to the precipitation of particles. Therefore, the water absorption and cation of graphene are the main reasons for the decrease in fluidity. The strength of concrete increases first and then decreases with the increase of substitution rate, but the flexural strength increases all the time. The nanoindentation shows that graphene changes the properties of hydration products. The results of ultrasonic pulse velocity and mercury intrusion porosimetry show that the incorporation of graphene can improve the pore structure of cement-based materials. The chloride ion test shows that graphene can absorb chloride ions, and the addition of graphene can improve the performance of cement-based materials.