Investigating Microstructural Behavior and Compressive Strength of Nanoengineered Cement Composites Incorporated with Synthesized MIL-101(Cr)

Researchers, in their quest to develop cement composites with improved hydration characteristics, mechanical properties, and durable microstructure, have been focusing on a new class of nanomaterials, namely metal organic frameworks. The present study helps advance this essential quest by introducing a new material, MIL-101(Cr), as a potential additive for cement composites. The current study aimed at developing synthesized MIL-101(Cr) and thereafter investigating its feasibility as a nanoadditive for developing nanoengineered cement composites. The investigation of the physicochemical properties of MIL-101(Cr) was conducted through field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. Synthesized MIL-101(Cr) exhibited high surface area and distinct porous structure having strong structural, desired chemical, and high thermal stability. MIL-101(Cr) doped nanoengineered cementitious composites (NECC) was investigated for its microstructure, compressive strength, and hydration characteristics, which revealed that addition of MIL-101(Cr) in cement composites induced the growth of hydration products and contributed to the formation of dense and compact microstructure. The high surface area and porous structure of MIL-101(Cr) exhibited nanocore effects on the cement composites, resulting in enhanced compressive strength, especially at later ages. The cement composites, at an optimal MIL-101(Cr) content of 0.3% by weight, had improvements in their compressive strength by 13.05%, 17.64%, and 25.21% at 3, 7, and 28 days, respectively. Last, the study draws positive inferences, establishing MIL-101(Cr) as a potential nanoadditive in NECC, thereby enabling further research opportunities.