Integrated Design of Photocatalysis and Structure for Cement Mortar Using Nano- Hydrosol
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36, Issue 12
Abstract
Due to the large specific surface area and strong van der Waals force, bulk aggregation of nano- immediately occurs when it is mixed with fresh cement mixture, limiting its reinforcing efficiency to cement-based materials. This study proposes a novel strategy to improve the mechanical and photocatalytic properties of cement mortar using nano- hydrosol instead of conventional nano- powder. Compared with pure mortar, the 28-day compressive and flexural strength of mortar with 0.6% by weight nano- hydrosol were enhanced by 51% and 15%, respectively, the water absorption and chloride ion diffusion coefficient were decreased by 21% and 31%, respectively. The observed improvements were attributed to the denser microstructure and enhanced micromechanical properties in the bulk matrix and around interfacial transition zone (ITZ), resulting from the better dispersion of nano- hydrosol in alkaline environment. In addition, compared with the mortar with nano- powder, the degradation efficiency of Rhodamine B and NO by the mortar with nano- hydrosol (0.6% by weight) was enhanced by 18.3% and 17.1% at 28 days, respectively. The enhancement resulted from the higher intrinsic photocatalytic activity and larger exposed surface area of nano- hydrosol due to better dispersion. The research outcomes demonstrate the potential of using nano- hydrosol in cement mortar to significantly increase the mechanical strength, durability, and photocatalytic activity, which can lead to the development of cement-based constructions with the integrated design of functionality and structure.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published paper.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Grant No. BK20210262), the General Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (52108194), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, the Science and Technology Research and Development Plan of China Railway Corporation “Research on key technology of design and construction and performance improvement of reinforced concrete in coastal environment with strong corrosion” (N2020G055), and the Australian Research Council through Future Fellowship FT200100985.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36 • Issue 12 • December 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 13, 2023
Accepted: Apr 30, 2024
Published online: Sep 24, 2024
Published in print: Dec 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Feb 24, 2025
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