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Fabricated CeO2/ZrO2 nanocomposite to improve thermal resistance, mechanical characteristics and microstructure of OPC composite cement pastes to enhance Gamma shielding

Construction and Building Materials • 2023
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Publication Information
Authors 119. Sahar M Ibrahim, Mohamed Heikal, Nesreen R. Abdelwahab, O. A. Mohamed
Keywords CeO2/ZrO2 nanocompositeGamma rays shieldingOPC composite pastesThermal resistancePhysico-mechanical properties
Journal Construction and Building Materials
Publisher Elsevier Ltd
Volume Volume 392
Issue Not Available
Pages 131971
publication.type International
Paper Link Open Link
Supplementary Materials Not Available
Abstract
The main objective of this study is to utilize the synthesized CeO2/ZrO2 nanocomposite (CZ-NPs) in different concentrations (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, and 1.5%) for improving the mechanical characteristics, microstructural properties, thermal resistance, and gamma radiation shielding of hardened ordinary Portland cement (OPC) composites. CZ-NPs were fabricated via the precipitation method. Various analytical techniques in addition to X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis were used to investigate the fabricated CZ-NPs and hardened composite pastes. The physico-mechanical features, thermal stability, and radiation resistivity of different OPC-CZ-NPs composite pastes were investigated. The results showed that the composite CZNP1 containing 0.25% CZ-NPs is the best choice for mechanical performance and has the highest gamma-ray shielding efficiency, as it can attenuate 50–90% respectively of gamma rays with energy 660Kev at distances 4 cm and 13 cm, respectively. Also, the composite accommodating of 0.5% CZ-NPs motivates the thermal resistance at 400 °C.