Three-dimensional (3D) concrete printing technology has been considered promising, attracting extensive attention in the engineering field. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been used as an additive to reinforce the cement-based material. However, the research on the 3D printed MWCNT-reinforced high-strength concrete is rare. This research is to study the mechanical properties and pore structure of MWCNT-reinforced reactive powder concrete (RPC) for 3D printing. In this research, the workability of the printed RPC mixture with MWCNTs was first tested to pass the criteria of 3D printing. Then, the enhancement effect of MWCNTs on the printed RPC was tested by mechanical properties after hardening. Meanwhile, strength-displacement curves were recorded. In addition, the pore structures of printed RPC were observed and analyzed by X-ray computed tomography (CT) images. The results show that 0.05 wt% MWCNTs have no effect on the workability of the printable RPC slurry. MWCNTs could enhance the mechanical properties of the printed RPC by filling the flaws inside the samples, increasing the viscosity of the RPC slurry and forming bridges between cracks. Besides, 0.05 wt% MWCNTs may cause the failure mode of the printed RPC from brittle failure to ductile failure. In addition, MWCNTs significantly reduced the porosity of the printed RPC by decreasing pores with a volume over 0.01 mm3. As CT images show, the interlayer zone (IZ) of the 3D printed RPC sample is prone to pores, and a higher volume fraction is evident. In particular, within the volume of IZs, the minimum volume fraction at the IZ of 3D printed RPC appears on sample with MWCNTs.
Keywords: 3D printing; carbon nanotube; mechanical properties; pore structure; reactive powder concrete.
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