Graphene-enhanced cement shows promising environmental benefits in an impactful study
20 May 2024
Senior Lecturer Alejandro Gallego-Schmid and Research Assistant Raphael Tarpani have collaborated with research units at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) and The University of Manchester, and as a result, have published an article.
The article, published in the journal Construction and Building Materials, demonstrates that a small amount of graphene can significantly improve cement properties and potentially reduce its environmental impacts, though achieving good dispersion and uniformity in the graphene-cement mixture remains challenging.
This paper is the result of a major collaboration between the University of Manchester, Breedon Cement (the largest cement manufacturer in the UK), and First Graphene International Limited. The project aims to demonstrate that adding graphene significantly enhances the mechanical strength of cement composites, potentially reducing the amount of cement needed in construction projects. However, the effectiveness of graphene is contingent upon its proper dispersion, which remains a challenging task.
The findings will help understand how graphene can be used sustainably in cement production. The authors are currently awaiting the review of a manuscript detailing the life cycle assessment (LCA) of this process.