Influence of nanoadditives on the Young’s modulus of cement

In recent years there has been widespread use of nanoadditives for various applications, especially for influencing the characteristics of concrete and cement [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]. Herein, we consider four different Portland cement mixtures containing combinations of three additives, namely: a polycarboxylate superplasticizer, SiO2 nanoparticle, and carbon nanotubes. The four mixture types have been subjected to three test methods: Ultrasonic tests for identification of effective elastic properties, Nanoindentation for determining material phases and related mechanical properties, and EDX measurements for investigating the chemical composition. First insights based on this combined experimental approach are given and the great potential of such a combined approach will be demonstrated.