Mechanical Properties of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube–Reinforced Cement Composites

Abstract

Abstract Cement is a great resource for the construction of buildings, dams, bridges, etc. because of its high compressive strength, but it has low tensile and flexural strength. Thus, to improve its properties, cement has been reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Three groups of specimens of cement composites containing multiwalled CNTs (MWCNTs) with different concentrations of MWCNTs (0, 0.2, and 0.3 % by weight of cement) were prepared. From the results, it was observed that the 0.3 wt. % MWCNT-cement composites had higher flexural strength compared to the 0.2 wt. % MWCNT-cement composites at 21 days, but the reverse was the case at the age of 14 days. The 0.2 wt. % MWCNT-cement composites had greater strain-to-failure than the 0.3 % MWCNT-cement composites at 14 as well as 21 days.