A new paper from leading universities has confirmed the importance of high aspect ratio graphene platelets for the enhancement of compressive strength in cement mortars and concrete. The research led by the University of Adelaide used high performing PureGRAPH® additives supplied by First Graphene Ltd. for the investigation. Improvements of 34.3% in compressive strength and 38.6% in flexural strength were recorded at very low dosage levels, equivalent to 0.02%w/w in mortar or 0.01%w/w in concrete.
The researchers observed that performance increased as the aspect ratio of the pristine graphene (PRG) particles increased, indicating that the PureGRAPH® products manufactured by First Graphene’s proprietary electrochemical process are ideal candidates for enhancing cement performance.
The researchers conclude “The results from this study indicate that Pristine Graphene is not only a promising additive in practical application for building materials to improve the current drawbacks of cement composites, but also a feasible option to support the reduction of cement mass used in cement composites, which could reduce the CO2 footprint and amount of CO2 emission into the atmosphere.”
The paper will be published in Construction and Building Materials Volume 264, 20 December 2020, 120188, although it is currently available online at https://bit.ly/3gDhgqM.