Anionic, Cationic, and Nonionic Surfactants Used as Dispersing Agents for Carbon Nanotubes and Their Effect on Cement Hydration
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33, Issue 11
Abstract
This work studies the hydration kinetics of portland cement pastes blended with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) aqueous dispersions. Anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactants—i.e., surfactants that have different charged functional groups in their structure—were used as dispersing agents. MWCNTs in powder form were dispersed in deionized water with sodium dodecyl sulfate, cetylpyridinium chloride, and triton TX-100. Three concentrations of each surfactant (1, 10, and 100 mM) were tested, and all samples were sonicated until an adequate dispersion degree was obtained. Cement pastes blended with carbon nanotubes were prepared, and their hydration kinetics were studied using the Vicat needle and isothermal calorimetry tests. It was concluded that the effect of MWCNTs on the hydration kinetics of portland cement can be masked by the effect of surfactants used as dispersing agents for the nanotubes in the mixing water.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
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Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33 • Issue 11 • November 2021
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Apr 28, 2020
Accepted: Mar 24, 2021
Published online: Sep 11, 2021
Published in print: Nov 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Feb 11, 2022
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