The impact of synthesized zirconia nanoparticles on improving the properties, microstructure, fire resistance, and photocatalytic efficiency of composite cementitious building materials
摘要
This research aimed to assess the efficacy of synthetic zirconia nanomaterials (NZr) in improving the physico-mechanical, textural, fire resistance, and photocatalytic properties of Ordinary Portland Cement composite pastes. Zirconia nanoparticles (NZr-NPs) were synthesized via a precipitation method, with an average crystallite size between 7 to 15 nm and a surface area of 88.01 m2/g. Six composite formulations were prepared, denoted as NZr0, NZr1, NZr2, NZr3, NZr4, and NZr5, with varying NZr doses. The physicochemical characteristics were investigated over hydration periods up to 3 months. After 28 days of hydration, specimens were dried and fired at temperatures ranging from 200 to 1000°C to assess their thermal resistance. The addition of 0.25% NZr was identified as the optimal dosage, enhancing the fire resistance of the composites. However, increasing the NZr content to 0.50–1.00% led to a reduction in compressive strength (CS), although it remained higher than that of the unmodified paste. The composite incorporating 1.5% NZr demonstrated superior photocatalytic degradation performance, exhibiting the highest dye degradation percentages after 300 min of UV irradiation at 3, 7, 28, and 90 days, measuring 83%, 86%, 89%, and 97%, respectively. These results highlight the enhanced photocatalytic degradation capabilities of the composite containing Zr-NPs. These findings identify several promising avenues for future research, particularly the optimization of zirconia dosage and its integration into cementitious systems to improve durability, environmental performance, and cost-effectiveness in sustainable construction applications.