GRAPHITE NANOPLATELETS AND GRAPHENE OXIDE INFLUENCE ON C-S-H FORMATION. I.

Graphene, graphite nanoplatelets and graphene oxide are emerging nanomaterials for future technologies. Despite the conservative nature of the building industry, nanomaterials are already making their way into some construction applications and nanotechnologies have the potential to open a new season in this field. Recent studies reported mechanical improvements in cement-graphene oxide composites. The interaction between the carbon nanoadditives and C-S-H is not clear yet. In this paper, we investigate whether and how graphite nanoplatelets and graphene oxide affect morphology and kinetics of C-S-H formation, studying the simple reaction between calcium oxide and silica. Influence on hydration by two different types of silica having different specific surfaces was considered. Instrumental analyses of the products were performed through Infrared and Raman spectroscopy, TG and SEM analysis up to four weeks. Results indicate that GO interacts with C-S-H phase and hinders its formation while GNPs remain only dispersed in the matrix.