Durable Nano-Engineered Cementitious Systems

耐久性问题困扰着水泥系统：这种困扰可能来自物理原因-收缩和热开裂-或来自化学环境。传统建筑材料和现代系统同样容易受到影响，确保其寿命严重涉及混凝土技术人员。混凝土的性能与混凝土的微观结构密切相关，包括孔隙网络、水化产物的稳定性以及体系中各界面的粘结性。在大多数情况下，研究主要集中在宏观工程的性质，即。治标不治本！然而，构建块是在纳米尺度上，这保证了一致的重点是定制这种系统的物理和化学性质，以适应每种应用。纳米技术使我们能够理解，控制和重组内的水泥系统在纳米级的问题。由于其尺寸，纳米材料具有赋予新的和/或显著改善的物理、化学、生物和电子特性的能力。本申请人已经对基于纤维素的（并且因此是可持续的）纳米纤维进行了试验性研究，以说明它们在内部固化和解决收缩（特别是在平板制品中）方面的效率。此外，对纳米二氧化硅和纳米石灰在水硬性石灰砂浆中的初步研究导致了改善的粘结性能和上级水密性。这里提出的计划的重点是采用这些和类似的纳米材料作为模板，在其上接枝合适的化学基团，以实现可调的纳米剂。因此，纳米工程有望使新一代定制的多功能复合材料具有一系列有用的特性，如低电阻率，自感知能力，高延展性，自我修复和在各种不利的物理和化学环境中控制裂缝。在短期内，该提案将：（一）提高水泥系统的耐久性;（二）提高非波特兰水泥系统的可置换性和水合特性;（三）通过增值工业和农业废料开发创新粘合剂。长期目标是表征和开发可持续建筑的耐用建筑材料。四名研究生研究助理（2名博士和2名硕士）沿着多名本科生研究实习生将直接与申请人一起在该补助金的任期内进行拟议的研究。此外，作为该计划的一部分，他们将与盟国的研究人员进行互动。通过学生研究人员的参与，新一代高素质的人员将被引入到使用先进的生物材料，纳米材料，化学定量识别技术，计算模拟和高性能结构材料。

Durability issues plague cementitious systems: The distress could arise either from physical causes -shrinkage and thermal cracking- or from the chemical environment . Both traditional building materials and modern systems are equally susceptible and ensuring their longevity seriously engages concrete technologists. Performance is related intimately to the microstructure: air-void network, stability of hydration products and the bond at various interfaces in the system. For the most part, research has focused largely at macro-engineering of properties, ie. treating the symptom but not the cause! However, the building block is at the nanometric scale, which warrants a concerted focus on tailoring the physical and chemical properties of such systems to suit each application.****Nanotechnology enables us to understand, control, and restructure matter within cementitious systems in the order of nanometers. Because of their size, nanomaterials have the ability to impart novel and/or significantly improved physical, chemical, biological and electronic properties. This applicant has conducted pilot studies on cellulose based (and hence, sustainable) nanofibres to illustrate their efficiency with internal curing and address shrinkage, especially in flatwork. Further, preliminary investigation on nanosilica and nanolime in hydraulic lime mortars resulted in improved bond behavior and also superior water tightness. The focus of the program proposed here is to employ these and similar nanomaterials as templates upon which suitable chemical groups shall be grafted to achieve tunable nano-agents. Thus, nano-engineering is expected to render a new generation of tailored, multifunctional composites with a range of useful properties such as low electrical resistivity, self-sensing ability, high ductility, self-healing and control of cracks in a variety of adverse physical and chemical environments.****In the short term, this proposal will: (i) improve durability of cement based systems; (ii) improve place-ability and hydration characteristics in non-Portland cement systems and (iii) develop innovative binders through value added industrial and agro waste materials. The long term goal is to characterize and develop durable building materials for sustainable construction.****Four graduate research assistants (2 PhD and 2 MSc) along with multiple undergraduate research interns will be directly active with the applicant on the proposed research during the tenure of this grant. In addition, they will interact with research personnel in allied areas, as part of this program. Through the involvement of a diverse set of student researchers, a new generation of high quality personnel will be introduced to the use of advanced biomaterials, nanomaterials, identification techniques for chemical quantification, computational simulations and high performance structural materials.***