Experimental Study of Graphene Oxide on Hydration Process of Tricalcium Silicate

Abstract

The effects of graphene oxide (GO) with different contents on hydration process of tricalcium silicate (C₃S) were investigated in this article. The scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, nitrogen desorption, nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to analyze the micro-evolution of the GO/C₃S hardened pastes, and the compressive strength of the GO/C₃S was tested. The findings revealed that the addition of the GO increased the compressive strength of the GO/C₃S because the GO can provide a large number of nucleation sites for hydration products, thereby accelerating the C₃S hydration process. The GO also reduced the total pore volume of the C₃S, leading to an increase in the proportion of gel pores and refinement in pore structure. Furthermore, the abundant oxygen-containing functional groups present on the GO surface can form hydrogen bonds with free water or interlayer water, thereby increasing the number of hydrogen bonds in the system.