Brief Description of Project:
The research aims to examine how new materials
being developed by the nanoscience community will contribute to
improving long-term durability of cement-based materials.
Randomly oriented carbon nano/micro carbon fiber
reinforced cement-based materials are an important class of composite
materials with superior structural and functional properties that will
open doors for new applications in civil infrastructure. Due to the
appealing properties of these multifunctional materials and the critical
role that they can play in improving infrastructural health and
function, it is important to understand the impact of their long-term
use and the modes by which they progress towards failure.
The interfacial bond
between cement paste and the reinforcing fiber is the most important
among the various properties that influence the long-term durability of
nano-structured cement-based materials. Interactions at the fiber-cement
interface are highly dependent upon local molecular structure and bonds,
which must be adequately characterized.
The
students will assist in investigations into the structure and
performance of these novel materials. The work will primarily consist in
the evaluation of the processes occurring at the fiber-cement interface.
Advanced physical and chemical characterization techniques (e.g., SEM-EDS
and thermal analysis) of fiber-cement interactions in conjunction with
equilibrium sorption studies with solutions of calcium hydroxide and
cement extract solutions will be used to investigate the binding
affinity of the cement phases with the fiber. |
