Modeling the mechanical properties of cementitious materials containing CNTs

This paper proposes analytical equations to predict the mechanical properties (flexural strength and flexural modulus of elasticity) of cementitious materials reinforced with Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs). Twenty-six mix proportions and literature data are used to develop rational models to consider the influence of important parameters and their interactions on the mechanical properties. The controlled experimental parameters include CNT aspect ratio, concentration, ultrasonication procedure (e.g., energy, amplitude, and superplasticizer-toCNTs (SP/CNTs) ratio), water-to-cement (w/c) ratio, sand-to-cement (s/c) ratio, and testing age. The proposed model is based on three steps of considering CNT dispersion, matrix contents, and hydration age of cement. The proposed model can capture the interactions between the experimental parameters for predicting the mechanical properties with reasonable accuracy. Also, there are several options to achieve comparable improvements in the mechanical properties with various combinations of the experimental parameters using the proposed equations.