Surface Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes and Compressive Strength of MWCNTs-OPC

Due to their remarkable mechanical properties, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered to be one of the most promising reinforcing materials for the next generation of high-performance cementitious composites. However, the major problem is the highly attractive van der Waals forces between CNTs, which create coherent agglomerates that prove difficult to disperse in cement based materials and reduce the fluidity of the fresh mixture. In this study, the reinforcing effect of highly dispersed multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) at ratios of 0.05, 0.1, 0.15， 0.2 and 0.25wt.% of cement has been investigated. The results show that small amount of effectively dispersed MWCNTs can significantly increase the strength of the cementitious