Enhancement of Concrete Microstructure using Graphene Oxide as a Cement Additive: An Experimental Study

Abstract

The current study investigates the graphene oxide’s (GO) effect on the mechanical properties of standard concrete. To compare, conventional concrete was designed to attain a compressive strength of 30 MPa, and GO was added to create graphene oxide concrete. The workability and compressive strength of various concrete mixtures were evaluated, and the best mixture, GC2 (0.2% GO), demonstrated a compressive strength of 42 MPa and a flexural strength of 6.0 MPa after 28 days of curing. Additional analysis of GC2 using SEM, EDAX, and XRD revealed a more compact microstructure of hydration products. The results of this study suggest that the mechanical properties of concrete are enhanced by the inclusion of graphene oxide (GO).

Keywords

• Concrete
• Compressive strength
• Flexural strength
• Graphene oxide
• Microstructure analysis
• Mechanical properties enhancement