Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Cement Composites:

Preparation, Characterization and Testing

Yizheng Cao, Jason Weiss, Carol Handwerker

A study of the effects of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) concentration, superplasticizer content, ultrasonication and
undispersed silica fume (UDSF) on CNT dispersion and mechanical properties is performed. Dispersion of CNTs is
characterized by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. AC-impedance spectroscopy (IS) is used to
investigate the fiber-reinforced composites dual arc behavior. The CNT-reinforced matrix shows a different IS behavior
than traditional macro conductive fibers, such as steel. Mechanical tests show an improvement in compressive strength
for UDSF-facilitated CNT-reinforced cement pastes. The ball on three ball (B3B) test was used to measure the flexural
strength of small disc samples of cement composites. CNT-reinforced cement pastes show an improvement of 25~45%.

AC-Impedance Spectroscopy (IS)

CNTs have extraordinary

mechanical properties shown
below. Data from Carbon
Nanotubes
Science
and
Applications, M. Meyyappan,
CRC Press LLC, 2005, p15
Density

modulus (GPa)

Strength (GPa)

(g/cm3)

CNT

1200

Steel

~150

208

2.6

0.4

plain
0.78 volume %

40

1.56 volume %

13
12
11

10

35

3.12 volume %

With different volume

fractions
of
steel
fibers, the cement
pastes
resistivity
decreases

4.68 volume %

30
25
20
15

0.10%

0.20%

0.30%

0.40%

0.50%

0.60%

0.70%

UDSF-Facilitated CNTReinforced Cement Pastes

10

w/c

Superplasticizer

Group a

0.365

Group b

0.3

Group c

0.25

0.3%

5
0
0

Due to van der Waals force, CNTs are tangled as bundles in

nature and are not ready to be used as a reinforcement.
Certain processing needs to be done to separate the bundles
into single tubes. Ultrasonication and superplasticizer as
surfactant are used to achieve this goal.

10

20

30

40

50

Re(Z) (ohmm)

With
longer
ultrasonication, the
CNT-reinforced paste
IS curves shift to
lower resistivity. This
is because of a better
dispersion.

50
0 min
10 min
1h
3h
15 h

-Z'' (ohm*m)

40

30

20

10

14

The B3B flexural strength of 7-day cements pastes with

different volume fractions of dispersed CNTs

50

7.8

Superplasticizer

15

CNTs volume f raction

Dispersion of CNTs

Dispersion mechanism of chemical

sufactants. Image from Pegel S,
Potschke P, Petzold G, Alig I, Dudkin
SM, Lellinger D, Polymer 49 (2008)
974-984

16

0.00%

-Im(Z) (ohmm)

Tensile

Sonication of 2 min
Sonication of 40 min
Plain

45

Youngs

17

B3B f lexural strength (Mpa)

Image from S.V. Rotkin, S.

Subramoney, Applied Physics
of
Carbon
Nanotubes,
Springer, 2005

With varying frequency, the IS of composites is measured.

The IS conductive fiber reinforced cement composites has
two arcs rather than one due to insulating coating on the
fibers, which is explained with a switching model [1].

CNT-Reinforced Paste Results

0
0

10

20

30

40

Z' (ohm*m)

50

[1] Torrents JM, Mason

TO, Peled A. J Mater Sci
2001;36 (16): 400312.

B3B flexural strength (MPa)

Carbon Nanotubes

10
Group a

9.5

Group c

Group a

8.5

Group c

8
7.5
7
0.00%

0.01%

0.10%

1.00%

10.00%

CNT vol fraction

B3B flexural strength of Group a and Group c at the age

of 7 days

Ball on Three Ball Flexural Test

The B3B device used in
this work for 2 inch
(diameter) disc samples.
Loading speed is set as
0.2 mm/min.

3
Ultrasonication

4
Both

After 3 hours ultrasonication with superplasticizer,

bundle 1 and 2 are close to a perfect dispersion, while 3
and 4 are still agglomerated, only part of which are
dispersed into single tubes.

Undensified Silica Fume (SF)

Due to their small size, SF
particles have the potential
to enter the CNT budles and
help the dispersion during
mixing [1].
[1]Florence Sanchez, Chantal Ince,
Composites
Science
and
Technology 69 (2009) 13101318

F
f ( , , ) 2
t
t
R

a
R

Left is a stress distribution of this

test.
Compared with traditional three
or four point bending, this B3B
test has several advantages: (1)
The ease to prepare testing
samples. (2) The complicated
stress distribution during test is
beneficial for detecting defects in
most directions. (3) The sample
surface and edge do not require
very good condition.

The strength calculation

F:
for this test [1].

applied force;
t:
sample thickness;
Poissons ratio of the material
[1] Brger A, Supancic P, v:
Danzer R, Journal of the R:
radius of the slice
European Ceramic Society Ra: support radius
22 (2002) 1425-1436

Compressive strength
of the three groups at
the age of 28 days

Conclusion
With ultrasonication and superplasticizer, the CNTs are
effectively dispersed. The fiber volume fraction and
dispersion can be characterized by AC-IS. The CNT
reinforced pastes and SF-facilitated CNT-reinforced pastes
(SCP) B3B flexural strengths are improved compared with
plain pastes. The 28-day compressive strengths of SCP are
also effectively improved.