Improvement of the mechanical and physical properties of cement pastes and mortars through the addition isostatic graphite

• Published in: Construction & building materials 2018-11, Vol.189, p.898-905
• Main Authors: Flores Medina, N., del Mar Barbero-Barrera, María, Jové-Sandoval, Félix
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbonation; Compressive strength; Flexural strength; Isostatic graphite; Thermal conductivity
• ISSN: 0950-0618; 1879-0526
• DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.09.055

•Isostatic graphite (IG) waste powder from the milling of molds for EDM, can be use as filler in advanced cement composites.•Mechanical properties and thermal conductivity are increased with IG in cementitious composites.•Carbonation of cementitious composites is increased with IG.•IG-Cement Composite showed a sealed microstructure and close interphase by SEM analysis.•IG used as addition can be new source for low-cost multifunctional cement-based materials. The following research work presents a characterization of cement pastes and mortars with Isostatic graphite (IG). This addition is a carbon-based addition from waste origin obtained after the mill of graphite blocks from synthetic origin to produce Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM). This carbon-based material presents a great carbon purity and a crystalline structure. The effects of IG addition on the fresh and hardened properties of cementitious composites have been studied. The microstructure of the composites and their mechanical and physical properties have been analyzed. IG addition modifies the fresh behavior of the composites, and later the physical properties, such as density and porosity. Moreover, the possibilities of using IG in cementitious materials have been highlighted in this work, thanks to the increase of the compressive and flexural strength, thermal conductivity and CO2 entrapping capacity.