Water-based graphene nanofluid additives: Advancements in sustainable, low-carbon, and high-performance nanocarbon-modified cementitious materials

Advancing carbon neutrality in construction demands innovative, low-carbon, high-performance cement composites. This study introduces a water-stable graphene nanofluid admixture (GNA) at a 13 g/L concentration, addressing challenges in nanomaterial processing, dispersion, and cost for large-scale civil engineering. GNA can replace water in concrete casting, aligning with engineering practices. The interaction between GNA and the cement matrix enhances mechanical performance and microstructure evolution. Orthogonal experiments show significant improvements in concrete compressive and flexural strengths with optimized GNA ratios, boosting strengths by 25.92 % and 55.01 % after 28 d of curing compared to unmodified benchmarks. Introducing GNA in concrete reduces cement consumption by 20.6 %, leading to a notable 184 kg reduction in carbon emissions per ton of cement produced, promoting sustainability in the construction industry.