Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Graphene/fly ash geopolymeric composites as self-sensing structural materials
AU - Saafi, Mohamed
AU - Tang, Leung
AU - Fung, Jason
AU - Rahman, Mahbubur
AU - Sillars, Fiona
AU - Liggat, John
AU - Zhou, Xiangming
N1 - Acceptance: 17/03/2014
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - The reduction of graphene oxide during the processing of fly ash-based geopolymers offers a completely new way of developing low-cost multifunctional materials with significantly improved mechanical and electrical properties for civil engineering applications such as bridges, buildings and roads. In this paper, we present for the first time the self-sensing capabilities of fly ash-based geopolymeric composites containing in situ reduced graphene oxide (rGO).Geopolymeric composites with rGO concentrations of 0.0, 0.1 and 0.35% by weight were prepared and their morphology and conductivity were determined. The piezoresistive effect of the rGO-geopolymeric composites was also determined under tension and compression. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results indicate that the rGO sheets can easily bereduced during synthesis of geopolymers due to the effect of the alkaline solution on the functional groups of GO. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that the majority of pores and voids within the geopolymers were significantly reduced due to the addition of rGO. The rGO increased the electrical conductivity of the fly ash-based rGOgeopolymericcomposites from 0.77 S m−1 at 0.0 wt% to 2.38 S m−1 at 0.35 wt%. The rGO alsoincreased the gauge factor by as much as 112% and 103% for samples subjected to tension and compression, respectively.
AB - The reduction of graphene oxide during the processing of fly ash-based geopolymers offers a completely new way of developing low-cost multifunctional materials with significantly improved mechanical and electrical properties for civil engineering applications such as bridges, buildings and roads. In this paper, we present for the first time the self-sensing capabilities of fly ash-based geopolymeric composites containing in situ reduced graphene oxide (rGO).Geopolymeric composites with rGO concentrations of 0.0, 0.1 and 0.35% by weight were prepared and their morphology and conductivity were determined. The piezoresistive effect of the rGO-geopolymeric composites was also determined under tension and compression. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results indicate that the rGO sheets can easily bereduced during synthesis of geopolymers due to the effect of the alkaline solution on the functional groups of GO. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that the majority of pores and voids within the geopolymers were significantly reduced due to the addition of rGO. The rGO increased the electrical conductivity of the fly ash-based rGOgeopolymericcomposites from 0.77 S m−1 at 0.0 wt% to 2.38 S m−1 at 0.35 wt%. The rGO alsoincreased the gauge factor by as much as 112% and 103% for samples subjected to tension and compression, respectively.
KW - fly ash
KW - geopolymer
KW - graphene
KW - composite
KW - self-sensing
U2 - 10.1088/0964-1726/23/6/065006
DO - 10.1088/0964-1726/23/6/065006
M3 - Journal article
VL - 23
JO - Smart Materials and Structures
JF - Smart Materials and Structures
SN - 0964-1726
IS - 6
M1 - 065006
ER -