The document discusses research on improving cement and concrete properties through the addition of nano-materials like nano-silica, carbon nanotubes, and titanium dioxide. Testing of cement mortar cubes and M40 grade concrete found that the addition of 0.75% nano-silica increased the 28-day compressive strength of mortar by 32.55% while 0.02% carbon nanotubes increased the strength of concrete by 36% at 28 days. The optimum dosages identified through mortar testing - 0.75% nano-silica, 0.02% carbon nanotubes, and 1% titanium dioxide - also improved the strengths of concrete mixtures. Further microstructural characterization is needed to better understand the

1. Mainak Ghosal –Research Scholar
&
Prof.Arun Kr. Chakraborty
Dep’t of Civil Engineering,IIEST,Shibpur,India.
(Formerly Bengal Engineering & Science University)
Email:mainakghosal2010@gmail.com

2.  Improving Cement/Concrete
properties by addition of
nano materials

3. What
is
Nano
Technology ?

5. ATOMS (paramánavah) are :-1 particle thrown
off by the wheel of a chariot(Book
II,ChapterXX).

7. Nanotechnology is the
manipulation of matter on
an atomic, molecular
&
supramolecular scale

8.  The ISO defines :
Nanoscale (or nano[10-9] range): Size range from
approximately 1 nm to 100 nm

9. Nano Technology
MYTH
OR
REALITY

11. “The construction industry was the only industry to
identify nanotechnology as a promising emerging
technology in the UK Delphi Survey in the early
1990s… However, construction has lagged behind
other industrial sectors, such as automotive, chemicals,
electronics and biotech sectors, where nanotechnology
R&D has attracted significant interest and investment
from large industrial corporations and venture
capitalists.”
“Application of Nanotechnology in Construction”, Materials and
Structures, 37, 649 (2004), Springer.

12.  Improves the materials’ bulk properties.
 To obtain thinner final elements(more Floor Space)
and quicker setting time.
 Brings down Weight & Cost Effective.
 Allows For Rationalization Of Design.
 Lowered levels of environmental contamination.
 Improved Carbon Ratings.

13.  Nano-Silica(nS)
 Carbon Nanotubes.(CNT)
 Titanium Oxides(TiO2)

14.  It is the first nano-product that replaced micro-
silica.
 Advancement made by the study of concrete at
nanoscale have proved nano-silica much better
than silica used in conventional concrete.

15. Sample
(Nano -
Silica)
% Content(Lit.) Specific
Gravity(Lab.)
% Content(Lab.) Specific Gravity(Lit.)
XLP 14-16% 1.12 21.4% 1.08-1.11
XTX 30-32% 1.16 40.74% 1.20-1.22
XFXLa 40-43% 1.24 41.935% 1.30-1.32

17. o Carbon Nano Tubes(CNTs) are molecular scale
tubes of graphitic Carbon with excellent
properties.
o They can be several millimeters in length &
can have one “layer” or wall (Single walled
nano tubes) or more than one wall (Multi
walled nano tubes)

18.  Excellent MECHANICAL Properties[Stronger than
Steel, Lighter than Aluminum, Elastic like Plastic]
 Has ELECTRICAL [Electric Conductivity]Properties
 Has THERMAL[Fire Resisting Properties]
 Have smaller diameters.
 Are the stiffest & strongest fibers
 Highly Flexible

19. Item Description
Diameter 20-40nm
Length 25-45nm
Purity 80-85%(a/c Raman Spectrometer & SEM analysis)
Amorphous Carbon 5-8%
Residue(Calcination in Air) 5-6% by Wt.
Average interlayer distance 0.34nm
Specific surface area 90-220 m2/g
Bulk density 0.07-0.32gm/cc
Real density 1-8 gm/cc
Volume Resistivity 0.1-0.15 ohm.cm(measured at pressure in powder)

21.  Most Widely Used Construction Material
 In India, TiO2 is Manufactured from Kerala’s Beach
Sand by Kerala Metals & Minerals Ltd.

22.  Have excellent Self-Cleansing Properties
 Results in the Improvement of the Compressive
strength of Paste, Mortar and Concrete
 cvcConventional
Glass
Self-Cleaning
Glass

23. Nano Titanium Oxide % 97
Rutile content % 98
pH 7
Average particle size (TEM) 30-40 nm
Treatment Nil
Moisture % 1.75-2
Bulk Density 0.31gm/cc
Water Solubility In-soluble

25. SCOPE OF WORK:-
The AIM is to Investigate the
INFLUENCES of Nano-Additions
on Cement Mortar & develop
OPTIMIZED MIX.
Testing of Nano-materials (nS,
CNT & n-TiO2) for7, 28,90,180 &
365 days compressive strength for
OPC Mortar at OPTIMIZED
additions & Repeating it for
Mechanical Properties of Concrete

26. EXPERIMENTA
L
PROGRAMME:-
Mechanical Tests
are done in
Concrete for
optimized Nano
Additions as
found in mortar
samples using
OPC for diff. %s
of Nano Materials
Materials
Cement-OPC
Water
Drinking/Tap
water
Chemical Admixture
Superpasticizer
( Poly Carboxylate
Ether)
*NANO
SILICA,CARBON
NANO-TUBES &
TITANIUM OXIDE
Fine /Coarse
Aggregate
Natural River
Sand/20 &10mm

27. TEST-PROCEDURES

28. Testing the
Compressive
Strength of
Cement Mortar
after 7, 28,90,180
& 365 days
ordinary curing in
TESTING M/C.
(I) Testing
of addition
of nS,CNT
&TiO2 in
OPC
Mortar cubes
filled with
Cement : Sand =
1: 3 with Water
& nano
additions

29. (II)Testing of
Nano-
Concrete[with
Optimized 0.75%
nS,0.02% CNT &
1%TiO2 additions]
M40 Grade
Concrete
W/C =0.4
Sand = Zone II
FA/CA=0.53
Cement=400Kg/m
3
Water=157Kg/m3
FA=687.54 Kg/m3
CA=1293.04Kg/m3
[CA1(90%)=1163.
74Kg/m3;CA2(10
%)=129.3Kg/m3
Testing
Compressive
Strength(Both
Short & Long
Term),Flexure
Strength &
Elasticity[28
days]

30. CNTs/TiO2 exist in Entangled Mass like
form -- like COTTON FIBRES
So Dispersion Agent is needed to
ACTIVATE them-- Here Poly Carboxylate
Ether(PCE) was used.

33.  (i) The following Tables show
the Cement Mortar & M40
Grade Concrete Test Results with
Nano-Silica,Carbon Nanotubes
& Nano-Titanium Di-Oxide:-

34. % Nano
additions in
Cement
7 Days
Strength
(% incr.)
28 Days
Strength
(% incr.)
90 Days
Strength
(% incr.)
180 Days
Strength
(% incr.)
365 Days
Strength
(% incr.)
0% nS
21.08 MPa
(--)
31.89MPa
(--)
31.20MPa
(--)
30.01MPa
(--)
30.01MPa
(---)
0.5% nS
23.85MPa
(13.14%)
35.1MPa
(11.35%)
41.30MPa
(32.37%)
27.47MPa
(-9.24%)
26.76MPa
(-4.29%)
0.75% nS
27.73MPa
(31.54%)
42.27MPa
(32.55%)
49.85MPa
(59.78%)
32.52MPa
(8.36%)
31.5MPa
(4.96%)
1.0% nS
25.07MPa
(18.93%)
37.36MPa
(17.15%)
42.98MPa
(37.76%)
33.68MPa
(12.23%)
32.41MPa
(8.0%)
1.25% nS
23.17MPa
(9.91%)
30.85MPa
(-3.26%)
39.45MPa
(26.44%)
35.24MPa
(17.43%)
31.3MPa
(4.29%)
1.50% nS 23.81MPa
(12.95%)
37.79MPa
(18.50%)
33.42MPa
(7.12%)
31.23MPa
(4.07%)
29.12MPa
(-2.96%)

35. % Nano
additions in
Cement
7 Days
Compressiv
e Str
(% incr.)
28 Days
Compressive
Str
(% incr.)
90 Days
Compressive
Str
(% incr.)
180 Days
Compressive
Str
(% incr.)
365 Days
Strength
(% incr.)
0%
CNT/TiO2
21.08MPa
(--)
31.89MPa
(--)
31.20MPa
(--)
30.01MPa
(--)
30.01MPa
(--)
0.02%CNT 17.69MPa
(-16.08%)
43.75MPa
(37.19%)
35.59MPa
(14.07%)
30.89MPa
(0%)
28.53MPa
(-4.93%)
0.05%CNT
27.19MPa
(28.98%)
34.88MPa
(9.37%)
31.85MPa
(2.08%)
38.55MPa
(3%)
41.69MPa
(38.92%)
0.1%CNT 21.69MPa
(2.89%)
24.83MPa
(-22.14%)
31.50MPa
(0.96%)
30.16MPa
(0%)
50.78MPa
(69.21%)
1%TiO2
25.24MPa
(19.73%)
36.71MPa
(12.59%)
35.92MPa
(15.13%)
33.42MPa
(11.36%)
41.16MPa
(37.15%)
2.5%TiO2
20.34MPa
(-3.51%)
34.97MPa
(9.58%)
37.80MPa
(21.15%)
40.95MPa
(36.45%)
28.16MPa
(-6.16%)

36. % Nano Additions
in
M-40 Grade
concrete
Workability
(Slump,mm)
7 Day Strength
(% increase )
[ShortTerm]
28 DayStrength
(% increase)
[MediumTerm]
90 DayStrength
(% increase)
[LongTerm]
Control Concrete
(M-40)
60
(--)
33.47MPa
(--)
40.12MPa
(--)
40.62MPa
(--)
Nano
Concrete(0.5%
PCE+0.75% nS)
110
(83. 33%)
33.69MPa
(0.66%)
49.77MPa
(24.05%)
48.12MPa
(18.46%)
Nano
Concrete(2%
PCE+0.02%CNT)
100
(66.67%)
42.59MPa
(27.25%)
54.58MPa
(36.04%)
72.37MPa
(78. 16%)
Nano
Concrete(1%
PCE+1.0%TiO2)
170
(183. 33%)
28.57MPa
(-14.64%)
43.96MPa
(9.57%)
43.34MPa
(6.69%)

37. Type of Concrete Density
(Kg/m3)
Modulus of
Elasticity(28 Days )
(% incr.)
28 Days Flexure
Str.
(% incr.)
28 Days Split
Tensile Str.
(% incr.)
OPC
(0M-40 Grade
Concrete
2564 53,197.45MPa 7.13MPa
(--)
3.34MPa
(--)
0M-40 Grade Nano-
Concrete(0.75% nS)
2531.33 1,26,444.56MPa
(137.69%)
7.63MPa
(7.01%)
4.52MPa
(35.3%)
0M-40 Grade Nano-
Concrete(0.02%
CNT)
2563.72 2,76,589.80MPa
(419.93%)
8.82MPa
(23.7%)
4.92MPa
(47.3%)
0M-40 Grade Nano
Concrete(1.0%TiO2)
2623.26 51,916.67MPa
(-2.41%)
NA NA

38. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1 day 3 days 7 days 28 days 90 days 180 days 365 days
CcompressiveStrength,MPa
Age
Nano-Silica Addition in OPC Mortar
Ctrl Samp.
Ns=0.5%
nS=0.75%
nS=1.0%
nS=1.25%
nS=1.5%

39. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1 day 3 days 7 days 28 days 90 days 180 days
CompressiveStrength,MPa
Age
Carbon NanoTubes Addition in OPC Mortar
Ctrl Samp.
Ns=0.5%
nS=0.75%
nS=1.0%

40. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
7 days 28 days 90 days 180 days
CompressiveStrength,MPa
Age
TiO2 Addition in OPC Mortar
Ctrl Samp.
TiO2=1%
TiO2=2.5%

41. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
7 days 28 days 90 days
CompressiveStrength,MPa
Age
Nano Material Addition in M-40 Grade Concrete
Ctrl Samp.
0.75% Ns
0.02% CNT
1% TiO2

42.  The mortar compressive strength for OPC
determined as per IS:4031 shows a 32.55% increase
in strength at 0.75% nS addition at 28 days, with
the rate of strength gain increasing upto 59.8% at
90 days but then falling by 8.4% at 180 days & 4.9%
at 365 days. For CNTs the gain in strength was
38.7% at 28 days but falling to 15.48% at 90 days &
10% at 180 days. At 365 days the strength gain
w.r.t ordinary cement mortar was -4.93%.
Optimised TiO2 indicated no such appreciable gain
in strength (12 to 15% increases in 28day to 180
days) but increasing to 37.15% at 365 days.

43. For compressive strength of
concrete as per IS:516 a modest
gain of 24.1%, 36% & 8.74% are
obtained for nS, CNT & TiO2
respectively at 28 days for the
same optimized doses as used
in the corresponding mortar
samples.

44.  The results showed that the
OPTIMIZATIONS for Nano Materials in
Cement Mortar -nS, CNT & TiO2 are
0.75%,0.02% & 1% w.r.to Cement weight.
 The optimum percentages based on
cement mortar when used in concrete
also produced good results w.r.t
controlled concrete.

45. Further research on MICRO
STRUCTURAL studies are necessary
for Characterization of Nano Materials
in Concrete