Study on the mechanics and functionalities of self-luminous cement-based materials with energy storage and slow release properties

Cement mixing and curing processes can remarkably influence the dispersion of luminescent powder (LP) in cement-based composite materials. Along these lines, in this work, self-luminous cement-based composite materials (SLCCMs) were fabricated by using three mixing methods: pre-mixing (LP added before the cement), together-mixing (LP added at the same time as the cement), and after-mixing (LP added after the cement), as well as two curing methods (bare and film-covered). Next, the SLCCM specimens were analysed, in terms of examining their mechanical properties, hydration heat, and luminescence intensity. For that reason, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and computed tomography (CT) measurements were conducted to obtain cross-sectional images of the successive layers in the composites. In terms of the applied mixing method, the highest mechanical strength was recorded for the specimens formed by together-mixing. In addition, acquired with the implementation of the pre-mixing method the luminescence was maximized, which was 27.3% and 62.3% higher during the processes of after-mixing and pre-mixing, respectively. As far as the curing method is concerned, the film-covered curing provided a more uniform curing environment for the cement paste, which significantly promoted cement hydration. From the acquired CT images, it was demonstrated that SLCCM paste is ideal homogeneous material and its optimal thickness for luminous performance was 2.36 mm.