EXAM 3.

Materials Science and Nanomaterials Group 1 Date: 28 th May, 2021

Teacher: Chem. Eng. Dr. Sc. - Chem. Alejandro Amadeus Castro Vega

Student: Juan Diego Ibáñez Barragán, Code: 0000199105

Introduction to material case.

Production of cement for concrete in the building industry is one of the leading causes of global carbon dioxide
emissions. Remarkably, if concrete were a country, it would be the third largest emitter in the world behind only
China and the US, producing around 8% of global CO 2 emissions1. Concrete it’s, by far, the most wide used
material in industrial/commercial/home purposes, so, its use it’s indubitably joined to global warming. Minimize
the maintenance, repairing and/or replacing contributes to CO 2 mitigation and makes concrete “more”
sustainable (less harmful!).
The addition of tiny amounts of graphene - a so-called ‘2D material’ made of a single layer of carbon atoms -
strengthens Concretene by around 30% compared to standard RC30 concrete, meaning significantly less is
needed to achieve the equivalent structural performance. Liquid concrete sets into its solid form through
chemical reactions known as hydration and gelation (a crystallization pathway inside this special ceramic-
composite), where the water and cement in the mixture react to form a paste that dries, crystallizes and
hardens over time. Graphene oxide makes a difference by acting as a mechanical support and as a catalyst
surface for the initial hydration reaction, leading to better bonding at microscopic scale and giving the finished
product improved strength, durability and corrosion resistance. Graphene oxide it’s dissolved into water and
then mixed with concrete blend.

First commercial use of Concretene (concrete-graphene blend) was recently displayed by a spin-off from
Manchester University. The prototype was a laid of a floor slab at Amesbury, Wiltshire (see ref. 1)

Previously, such ceramic composite was tested, to understand futures performances. Raw materials used for
those test includes common cement, stones, gravel, and graphene layers. Table 1, 2 and figure 2, 3 shows the
raw material composition/issues 2. Stones/gravel can be considered as an irregular hard silica particle (mostly
SiO2)

Table 1. Chemical composition of cement (% by weight).

Component CaO SiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 MgO K2O Na2O SO3
65.1
Content (%) 21.25 4.21 3.35 2.90 0.97 0.50 0.72
6

Table 2. The composition and dimensions of graphene oxide nanosheet.

The Length/Width
Items Carbon (%) Oxygen (%) Thickness (nm)
(μm)
Value range 45–60 40–55 2–10 1–1.5

1
Manchester University (2021) Greener AND cheaper: Graphene@Manchester solves concrete's big problem. Available at:
https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/greener-and-cheaper-graphenemanchester-solves-concretes-big-problem/; accessed on 25 th May 2021.
2
Wu, Y. Y., Que, L., Cui, Z., & Lambert, P. (2019). Physical Properties of Concrete Containing Graphene Oxide Nanosheets. Materials (Basel, Switzerland),
12(10), 1707. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12101707
 Figure 2. XRD (left side) and TGA (right side) performed over Graphene oxide used as concrete nanofiller 3.

For composite material, also XRD, tensile test and other analysis were performed after several days of curing
(composite hardening)

Figure 3 XRD analysis for concrete without graphene oxide blend (lower line – blue), and concrete graphene blends 1 &
1.5% (middle and upper lines, green and black patterns, respectively) (source, ref 3)

Figure 4. Results of compressive (left side) and flexural test over concrete/graphene composite after 7, 14, 21 & 28 aging
days (source, ref 4)

3
Fakhim Babak, Hassani Abolfazl, Rashidi Alimorad, Ghodousi Parviz; Preparation and Mechanical Properties of Graphene Oxide: Cement Nanocomposites;
The Scientific World Journal; Volume 2014 (Article ID 276323), https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/276323
4
Wu YY, Que L, Cui Z, Lambert P. Physical Properties of Concrete Containing Graphene Oxide Nanosheets. Materials (Basel). 2019 May 26; Vol 12 (issue 10)
pag:1707. doi: 10.3390/ma12101707.
Questions.

(1.5 point) From the composite tensile test (compressive & flexural) on figure 4, and XRD composite analysis
(figure 3) it can be inferred that… (please HIGHLIGHT your selection and explain briefly your motivation, less
than 100 words)
a. Graphene doesn’t affect any mechanical property inside concrete composite.
b. As the graphene content increases, new bindings (crystalline peaks) are created, so mechanical
strength increase coherently under a proportional relationship.
c. As the graphene content increases, new bindings are created (crystalline peaks), but mechanical
strength didn’t increased.
d. As the graphene content increases, no bindings are created (crystalline peaks), so mechanical
strength didn’t increased.
e. As the graphene content increases, new bindings (crystalline peaks) are created, so mechanical
strength increase coherently, but isn’t proportional.

R/: The answer is E, since in Figure 3 it is shown that as the graphene content increases, crystalline peaks are
appearing, especially in 36 of the scale 2 can be evidenced the highest peak, but these are not increasing
proportionally, it can also be shown that its mechanical strength increases significantly while graphene content
increases.

(1.5 point) After writing a technical summary of graphene-concrete issues, a virus modify your e-mail. No backup
it’s available. It’s very feasible that the receptor read a false document. Please find the damaged/wrong text.

Message 1 Message 2
From: Me From: Me
To: Technical staff, concretene. To: Technical staff, concretene.
Date: 27 may 2021 Date: 27 may 2021
Subject: concretene recommendations Subject: concretene recommendations

“It was observed that in graphene oxide prevails a
crystalline structure, inherited from graphene. Peaks
located at 2θ=13 & 43 demonstrate it. Noisy signal it’s
caused by oxidized sites.
I consider that after 14 days, it’s reached a
considerable strength (under compression and
bending), enough to start operations. To await more
time, don’t increase the material strength as along the
first curing week.
Seems that if Concretene suffer a heating above
200°C, not only the matrix could suffer thermal
damage (as we know, from previous assays),
graphene oxide start to decompose faster, so,
composite stability goes seriously compromised.
I recommend to include 0.06% graphene in
Concretene blends, because we need 50MPa as
strenght threshold”
Regards!
Me.
“It was observed that in graphene oxide prevails an
amorphous state, inherited from graphene. Peaks
mixed with noisy signal demonstrate it. Those peak
were caused by oxidation procedure.
I consider that after 14 days, it’s reached a
considerable strength (under compression and
bending), but it’s not enough to start operations.
Please await more time, I suggest 28 days in order to
let increase the material strength at the maximum.
Seems that if Concretene receives a heating above
200°C, only the matrix could suffer thermal damage
(as we know, from previous assays), graphene oxide
start to decompose faster, but it’s not demostrated.
I recommend to mix 0.06% graphene in Concretene
blends, as we need 50MPa as strenght threshold”
Regards!
Me.

Which message you will send to your receiver:

 Message 1
  Message 2
Why? (explain briefly your motivation, less than 100 words

R/: Because with the presence of crystalline peaks, it is inferred that the material is crystalline, but when
showing a noisy signal, it is usually because of those oxidized sites that are presented in the analysis, besides, it
was never amorphous. Another reason is that it is not necessary to wait until 28 days to be able to perform
operations with this compound, since there is not so much difference between the considerable force under
compression and bending from 14 days to 28 days. And finally, it is illogical for message 2 to say that only the
matrix is damaged by thermal damage and then to say that graphene oxide deteriorates faster.

Introduction to material case: Part 2.

It was proposed to reinforce the concrete with some polymeric fibres, replacing graphene oxide, in appliances
were cost/performance it’s necessary, and also heat resistance improvement. Carbon Fibre (C.F.), aramide
(Kevlar) and glass fibre (G.F.) were tested alone 5. Figure 5 shows thermal analysis performed over those
materials.

Figure 5. Thermal assay (TGA) over Kevlar and Carbon fibre (left side) and glass (borosilicate) fibre (on right side)
(images retrieved from reference 5)

Using DSC was found that none of the fibres exhibits a glass transition over 0°C and beyond. None of the
materials has a melting point noticeable inside the temperature range tested. Thermal degradation for concrete
alone was also performed6 in order to establish a comparative framework for your decision (please locate it on
figure 6).

Figure 6. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of autoclaved aerated concrete (image retrieved from source 6).
5
Maryory A. Gómez, Claudia C. Alzate, Alexánder Márquez, José W. Restrepo, Franklin Jaramillo; Efecto de la temperatura sobre la resistencia a la tracción
de algunos refuerzos de fibras para matrices cerámicas o poliméricas; Revista EIA. Esc. Ing. Antioq; no.11 Envigado Jan./June 2009

6
Ghazi Wakili, Karim & Hugi, E. & Karvonen, L. & Schnewlin, P. & Winnefeld, Frank. (2015). Cem & Concr Comp 62 (2015) 52-58.
(1.5 points) Please give coherence to the next phrase, filling the blank spaces with the materials/concepts
missed:

To do a cementitious composite reinforced with graphene or other fibres, it’s recommendable a carbon fibre,
because weight loss it’s neglectable, as can be seen in figure 5. But nevertheless, the concrete matrix/filler must
be tested first to face if both materials will interact as we expect. In any case, I don’t recommend to subject the
composite to temperatures beyond 600 - 650 °C because decomposition of CaCO 3, and CO2 molecules losing,
besides filler thermal damage not ensure a continuous/stable usage. I recognize that those situations aren’t
usual, but if this composite it’s employed to attach hot surfaces, as ovens, for example, an insulator layer must
be applied first.

Explain your text completion proposal (less than 100 words):

R/: It is advisable to use carbon fibre, since, of the polymeric fibers mentioned, this is the one that most presents
a thermal degradation, and this can be evidenced in figure 5. Following, the matrix, which is concrete, is
evaluated first and their respective changes are made, and the compound should not be subjected to
temperatures above 600 - 650 °C, as this temperature carbonizes the material.

(0,5 point) What kind of use would you suggest, Strictly on your professional/career (Mechanical or Chemical
engineering) performance for this kind of reinforced concretes (graphene or fibres as filler). Be concise.

R/: I think that a use for reinforced concrete (graphene or fibers as filler), can be the construction of a
hydroelectric dam, because its properties would be perfect to carry out the work and that does not generate
any cracks or minimize the appearance of cracks.