Effect of Nano Materials on the Cement and Concrete Properties

Abstract

The importance of nanomaterials has been known for many years, but their usage in cement and concrete production is not accelerated and emphasized extensively. Cement and concrete are the base input material for the construction industry, and the industry is facing tremendous pressure to reduce its greenhouse gas emission (GHG); in 2021, the cement industry emitted about 7% GHG, equal to 2.5 Giga Ton gases of global GHG emission. It is estimated that by enhancing various supplementary cementitious materials (SCM), approximately 9% of the GHG emission of the cement industry can be reduced globally. It is also known that the cement hydration process is very sensitive and altered by many factors such as temperatures, amount of water, surface area, chemical properties, mineral phases, and type of SCM used. The alteration of hydration has adverse influences on cement and concrete performance. Nanomaterials can play an essential role by offsetting the adverse effects of high usage of SCMs in the cement, helping in increasing sustainability by reducing the intensity of CO2, and offering value-added features like self-sensing self-cleaning, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-algae, and anti-stain in the cement other than cement strength, which may promote the use of blended cement and replace ordinary Portland cement in the construction industry. This comparative review aims to understand nanomaterials’ advantages and challenges and compare their role and their influence on the cement hydration process based on the types of nanomaterials and their nature as Pozzolanic Nanomaterial (nano SiO2, nano MgO, Nano CaCO3, Nano Metakaolin), Metal oxide Nanomaterial (nano TiO2, nano CuO, nano ZnO, nano Al2O3, nano Fe2O3) and Carbon Based Nanomaterial (Carbon Nanotubes CNTs, Carbon Nano Fibers CNFs, Graphene Oxides).

Keywords: Carbon dioxide, Cement, Cementitious, Heat evolution, Hydration, Nanoparticles, Strength.

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