Influence of Cellulose Filaments on Cement Paste and Concrete
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 30, Issue 6
Abstract
In light of the current increasing interest toward nanomaterials for concrete technology, it appears that nanocellulose (with its incredible properties) can shape a promising sustainable candidate. This study investigates the influence of a new type of nanocellulose materials, namely, cellulose filaments (CF), on the properties of cement pastes and self-consolidating concrete (SCC). CFs were found to alter mixture rheology and improve its stability because of the filaments’ hydrophilicity. While the compressive strength of CF pastes was adversely affected (because of air entrainment and filament agglomeration), the flexural capacity was increased by up to 25%. In SCC, all measured mechanical properties were enhanced. Strength improvements of up to 16% (in compression), 34% (in splitting tension), 22% (in flexure), and 96% (in energy absorption) were obtained. These improvements were attributed to two effects imparted by CF: nanoreinforcing and internal curing. The former was evidenced by microstructural analysis, while the latter was confirmed by the assessment of autogenous shrinkage, in which CF reduced the shrinkage strains at 7 days by up to 31%. In SCC, CFs also imparted a viscosity-modifying effect, in which the hardened properties were enhanced via improving mixture stability.
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Acknowledgments
This project is jointly supported by a Cooperative Research and Development (CRD) grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Canada Vanier Graduate Scholarship (CGS) program award no: 360284, Kruger Biomaterials, Inc. (QC, Canada), and Euclid Chemicals. The authors are grateful for the financial support from all of these partners.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 30 • Issue 6 • June 2018
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©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 18, 2017
Accepted: Nov 22, 2017
Published online: Apr 10, 2018
Published in print: Jun 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Sep 10, 2018
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