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Special Functional and Environmental Cement-Based Materials
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Special Functional and Environmental Cement-Based Materials

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 January 2025) | Viewed by 8644

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hui Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil ＆ Environmental Engineering and Geography Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
Interests: cement concrete; smart concrete; durability; thermoregulation cement-based materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Lin Chi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
Interests: special cement; nanomaterials; conductive concrete; functional concrete; durability of cement concrete

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Smart cement-based materials or functional cement-based materials have been proposed for several years. Due to the social demand for multifunctional cement-based materials, different types and functions of cement-based materials have been continuously developed, just like conductive cement-based materials, which can be used for the self-sensing and snow melting and deicing. Additionally, phase change cement-based materials can be used to regulate indoor temperature changes and reduce energy consumption.

In addition to functional properties, environmental protection and energy conservation in cement production and use are also very important. Solid wastes, such as recycled concrete, river silt ceramsite, incineration waste fly ash cement-based materials, slag concrete, and phosphogypsum brick have attracted many scholars' attention. Additionally, the use of CO2 in the curing of cement-based materials has been proposed. CO2 curing can not only improve the mechanical strength of some cement-based materials but also solidify the toxic and harmful substances in curing materials.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Hui Wang
Dr. Lin Chi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • solid waste
  • special cement
  • CO2-cured concrete
  • durability of concrete
  • phase change material
  • smart concrete

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3676 KiB  
Article
Sorption and Desorption Isotherms of Lightweight Alkali-Activated Materials Modified with Silica Aerogel
by Halina Garbalińska, Agata Stolarska, Jarosław Strzałkowski and Agnieszka Ślosarczyk
Materials 2025, 18(6), 1338; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18061338 - 18 Mar 2025
Viewed by 191
Abstract
The moisture content in a building material has a negative impact on its technical parameters. This problem applies in particular to highly porous materials, including those based on aerogel. This paper presents moisture tests on a new generation of alkali-activated materials (AAMs) with [...] Read more.
The moisture content in a building material has a negative impact on its technical parameters. This problem applies in particular to highly porous materials, including those based on aerogel. This paper presents moisture tests on a new generation of alkali-activated materials (AAMs) with different aerogel contents. Silica aerogel particles were used as a partial replacement for the lightweight sintered fly ash-based aggregate at levels of 10, 20, and 30 vol%. The experiment included four formulations: R0 (without the addition of aerogel) and the recipes R1, R2, and R3, with an increasing content of this additive. The level at which moisture stabilizes in a material in contact with the environment of a given humidity and temperature depends on whether the equilibrium state is reached in the process of moisture absorption by a dry material or in the process of the drying out of a wet material. The equilibrium states achieved in these processes are described by sorption and desorption isotherms, determined at a given temperature, but at different levels of relative humidity. The SSS (saturation salt solution) method has been used for years to determine them. Unfortunately, measurements carried out using this method are difficult and highly time-consuming. For this reason, a more accurate and faster DVS (dynamic vapor sorption) method was used in this study of R0–R3 composites. The research program assumed 10 step changes in humidity in the sorption processes and 10 step changes in humidity in the desorption processes. As a result, the course of the sorption and desorption isotherms of each of the four composites was accurately reproduced, and the hysteresis scale was assessed, which was most evident in the cases of the R0 composite (made without the addition of aerogel) and R1 composite (made with the lowest aerogel content). Studies have shown that the increased addition of aerogel resulted in an increase in the amount of water absorbed. This was true for all ten relative humidity levels tested. As a result, the highest values in the entire hygroscopic range were observed in the course of the sorption isotherm determined for the R3 composite with the highest aerogel content, and the lowest values were for the sorption isotherm of the R0 composite without the addition of aerogel. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Special Functional and Environmental Cement-Based Materials)
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23 pages, 9974 KiB  
Article
Environmental Toxicity of Cement Nanocomposites Reinforced with Carbon Nanotubes
by Eryk Goldmann, Edyta Kudlek, Oktawian Bialas, Marcin Górski, Marcin Adamiak and Barbara Klemczak
Materials 2025, 18(5), 1176; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18051176 - 6 Mar 2025
Viewed by 513
Abstract
The addition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to cement matrix brings multiple beneficial effects ranging from improving mechanical and physical properties to the creation of smart materials. When subjected to an erosive environment or as end-of-life waste, mortars with CNT addition might get released [...] Read more.
The addition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to cement matrix brings multiple beneficial effects ranging from improving mechanical and physical properties to the creation of smart materials. When subjected to an erosive environment or as end-of-life waste, mortars with CNT addition might get released into the environment and come in contact with surface waters. The assessment of the environmental impact of mortars reinforced with carbon nanotubes is an important factor concerning their sustainability, as it has not yet been addressed in the literature. The presented paper aims to assess the water toxicity of cement mortars with various dosages of 0.05 wt.%, 0.1 wt.%, and 0.2 wt.% of carbon nanotube. The effect of the quality of water dispersion of CNTs was also considered through two sonication times of the suspension: 20 min and 60 min. Tests using indicator organisms, Aliivibrio fischeri, Daphnia magna, and Lemna minor, were conducted on shredded and non-shredded mortars. The results reveal no to low toxicity for all tested mortars under the assumed framework of toxicity assessment. The toxicity results for samples containing CNTs were comparable to those without CNTs, indicating that the toxicity of mortars incorporating CNTs is not greater than that of conventional cement-based materials. The water toxicity of the cement mortars is rather connected with the washing away of the hydration products more than with the presence of carbon nanotubes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Special Functional and Environmental Cement-Based Materials)
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33 pages, 7791 KiB  
Article
Durable Structural Recycled Concrete for Different Exposure Environments
by Carla Vintimilla and Miren Etxeberria
Materials 2025, 18(3), 587; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18030587 - 28 Jan 2025
Viewed by 607
Abstract
In this work, the influence of limited percentages of coarse (CRCA) and fine (FRCA) recycled concrete aggregates (Type A recycled aggregates) on the durability properties of structural concrete was analyzed. Concretes were designed using 50% and 60% CRCA with simultaneous additions of 0%, [...] Read more.
In this work, the influence of limited percentages of coarse (CRCA) and fine (FRCA) recycled concrete aggregates (Type A recycled aggregates) on the durability properties of structural concrete was analyzed. Concretes were designed using 50% and 60% CRCA with simultaneous additions of 0%, 10%, and 20% FRCA and different types of cement (CEM II/AL 42.5 R, CEM II/AS 42.5 N/SRC, and CEM III/B 42.5 N-LH/SR). Recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) and natural aggregate concrete (NAC) mixtures were produced with similar compressive strength using effective water–cement ratios of 0.47 and 0.5. The drying shrinkage values and durability properties were determined, and they included the chloride permeability, chloride penetration depth, and accelerated and natural carbonation rates. The findings revealed that RAC produced using CEM III/B, which included the mixture produced with 60% coarse RCA and 20% fine RCA, achieved low chloride ion penetrability (up to 850 Coulombs) and exhibited the lowest chloride diffusion coefficient, approximately 7 × 10−13. Additionally, the RAC-C60-F20 concretes made with CEM II/AS proved suitable for the XC3 and XC4 exposure environments, guaranteeing a lifespan of 50 and 100 years based on the natural carbonation rate. In addition, the RAC-C60-F20 concrete made with CEM II/AL cement exhibited an adequate natural carbonation rate for XC4 environments, which was between 1.6 and 2.4 units higher than the accelerated carbonation rate. This work validates the use of RAC in XC environments (corrosion induced by carbonation) and XS1 environments (corrosion caused by chlorides from seawater). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Special Functional and Environmental Cement-Based Materials)
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12 pages, 4168 KiB  
Article
Electric Resistance and Curing Temperature Development of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Conductive Concrete: A Comparative Study
by Lei Zhang, Siyuan Chen, Weichen Tian, Yuan Tang, Qiang Fu, Ruisen Li and Wei Wang
Materials 2024, 17(16), 4045; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17164045 - 14 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1106
Abstract
The development of electric resistance is a key factor affecting the performance of conductive concrete, especially the electrical–thermal performance. In this work, the effects of different influencing factors (including the water-to-binder ratio, coarse aggregate content and carbon fiber (CF) content) on the electric [...] Read more.
The development of electric resistance is a key factor affecting the performance of conductive concrete, especially the electrical–thermal performance. In this work, the effects of different influencing factors (including the water-to-binder ratio, coarse aggregate content and carbon fiber (CF) content) on the electric resistance of conductive concrete were systematically investigated. At the same time, ohmic heating (OH) curing was applied to fabricate CF-reinforced conductive concrete (CFRCC) under a negative temperature environment at −20 °C. The effects of different factors on the electrothermal properties (curing temperature and conductive stability) of the samples were studied. The mechanical strengths of the CFRCC cured by different curing conditions were also tested, and the feasibility of OH curing for preparing CFRCC in a negative-temperature environment was verified at various electric powers. This work aims to give new insights into the effects of multiple factors on the performance of CFRCC for improved concrete construction in winter. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Special Functional and Environmental Cement-Based Materials)
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18 pages, 9977 KiB  
Article
Newly Generated Ca-Feldspar during Sintering Processes Enhances the Mechanical Strength of Coal Gangue-Based Insulation Bricks
by Yangfan Zheng, Jiayan Cui, Pengxiao Gao, Junfan Lv, Lin Chi, Hongyan Nan, Yuandong Huang and Fan Yang
Materials 2023, 16(22), 7193; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16227193 - 16 Nov 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1368
Abstract
Coal gangue is a solid waste with low carbon content discharged during the course of the coal mining process. The resource utilization of coal gangue could solve environmental problems caused by its excessive production, such as soil contamination and land occupation. This study [...] Read more.
Coal gangue is a solid waste with low carbon content discharged during the course of the coal mining process. The resource utilization of coal gangue could solve environmental problems caused by its excessive production, such as soil contamination and land occupation. This study proposed to produce high-strength thermal insulation bricks using coal gangue as the primary material and three other mineral powders as auxiliary materials, including K-feldspar, CaCO3 and fly ash. A systematic analysis was conducted to explore the optimum raw material addition ratio and optimum sintering temperature; then, the intrinsic structure of thermal insulation bricks and their sintering formation mechanisms were revealed. The results showed that the optimal ratios of coal gangue, K-feldspar, CaCO3 and fly ash were 65 wt%, 15 wt%, 10 wt% and 10 wt%, respectively; the compressive strength of the thermal insulation brick produced under this ratio was 22.5 MPa; thermal conductivity was 0.39 W m−1 k−1. During sintering processes, mineral powders sufficiently fused to form a skeleton, and the CO2 derived from CaCO3 formed pores. The optimum sintering temperature was 1150 °C, because at this temperature, K-feldspar had the best effect in promoting the conversion of CaCO3 to Ca-feldspar. The high level of the relative crystallinity of Ca-feldspar (about 76.0%) helped raise the Si–O network’s polymerization degree (NBO/T = 1.24), finally raising the compressive strength of thermal insulation bricks. The innovative method of using coal gangue to make thermal insulation bricks not only solved the environmental pollution caused by coal gangue but also provided excellent construction materials with high practical application value. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Special Functional and Environmental Cement-Based Materials)
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20 pages, 6353 KiB  
Article
The Influence of the Thermal Treatment of Copper Slag on the Microstructure and Performance of Phosphate Cements
by Rania Derouiche, Patrick Ninla Lemougna, Guillermo Meza Hernandez, Jun Gu, Samir Baklouti and Hubert Rahier
Materials 2023, 16(18), 6249; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16186249 - 17 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1640
Abstract
In general, phosphate cements have a very rapid setting reaction at room temperature. The same holds for copper slag-based phosphate cements. This means that using them as a binder, for instance as mortar, is always possible on a small scale, but very difficult [...] Read more.
In general, phosphate cements have a very rapid setting reaction at room temperature. The same holds for copper slag-based phosphate cements. This means that using them as a binder, for instance as mortar, is always possible on a small scale, but very difficult on a large scale. In this paper, the heat treatment of the copper slag was shown to be an effective way to increase the setting time and keep the mix workable for an adequate period. The main objective of this research was to examine the changes in the phase composition of quenched copper slag after exposure to 500 °C and to evaluate the impact of these changes on the reactivity of the material in an acidic environment, as well as on the mechanical properties, microstructure, and structure of the produced phosphate cement materials. Various experimental methods were utilized to characterize the raw materials and the obtained phosphate cementitious materials, including isothermal microcalorimetry (TAM Air), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as well as the determination of the chemical composition using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and the particle size distribution. Furthermore, compressive strength tests were conducted to gauge the mechanical resistance of the materials. The main findings of this work revealed that subjecting the copper slag to a thermal treatment of 500 °C induced a partial transformation in its structure. The high temperature caused the oxidation of some of the divalent iron oxide in the slag, leading to the formation of hematite. This treatment increased the setting time and reduced the reactivity of the copper slag with phosphoric acid, ultimately enabling the production of a dense phosphate-based cementitious material with outstanding mechanical properties. The compressive strength of the newly developed cement was recorded to be greater than 78.9 MPa after 7 days, and this strength continued to increase, reaching 82.5 MPa after 28 days. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Special Functional and Environmental Cement-Based Materials)
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14 pages, 4097 KiB  
Article
Influence of Citric Acid on the Fundamental Properties of CO2 Cured Magnesium Oxysulfate Paste
by Houchao Sun, Feiting Shi and Hui Wang
Materials 2023, 16(3), 1315; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16031315 - 3 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2158
Abstract
Magnesium oxysulfate (MOS), mainly composed of magnesium oxide and magnesium sulfate, is a kind of gas-hardening cementing material with low energy consumption and CO2 emissions. In order to develop environment-friendly cement-based materials, MOS needs to be studied systematically. The paper mainly investigates [...] Read more.
Magnesium oxysulfate (MOS), mainly composed of magnesium oxide and magnesium sulfate, is a kind of gas-hardening cementing material with low energy consumption and CO2 emissions. In order to develop environment-friendly cement-based materials, MOS needs to be studied systematically. The paper mainly investigates the influence of citric acid (a retarder) on the working and mechanical properties of MOS paste. In this study, the setting time of fresh MOS paste is determined. The flexural and compressive strengths of hardened specimens exposed to the environment of water dry-wet (D-W) alternations, freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles, and sulfate D-W alternations are investigated. Furthermore, the drying shrinkage (D-S) rate of MOS paste is tested for 3 days and 28 days. The specimens are cured in standard or CO2 curing environments. A scanning electron microscope energy spectrum (SEM-EDS) is obtained to analyze the morphology of hydration products. Results show that citric acid can increase the setting time of MOS paste. The citric acid and CO2 curing have a positive effect on the mechanical strengths and the resistance to erosion by water, F-T cycles, and sulfate D-W alternations. The D-S rate decreased in relation to the increasing dosages of citric acid and increased with CO2 curing. MOS with 0.3% of the total binder material mass shows the best erosion resistance. As observed in the results of SEM-EDS, the CO2 curing and the citric acid can make the hydration products denser. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Special Functional and Environmental Cement-Based Materials)
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