The Effect of Moisture Content on the Electrical Properties of Graphene Oxide/Cementitious Composites

Abstract

Due to its ability to improve mechanical properties when incorporated into cement, graphene oxide (GO) has received extensive attention from scholars. Graphene oxide is also a filler that improves the self-sensing properties of cement composites (CCs). However, existing studies have not focused sufficient attention on the electric conductivity of cement composites filled with graphene oxide (GO/CCs) and their mechanisms, especially polarization. This study examines the effects of water content and temperature on the electrical conductivity of GO/CCs. GO/CC polarization phenomena are analyzed to reveal the conductive mechanism. The results show that water has a significant influence on the electrical conductivity of GO/CCs. With increasing water loss, the electrical resistivity of GO/CCs increases by four orders of magnitude. For the same water content, a 0.1% GO concentration significantly decreases the resistivity of GO/CCs. Temperature can significantly enhance the current intensity of GO/CCs; furthermore, there is a quadratic relationship between current intensity and temperature. The conductive mechanism of GO/CCs is attributed to the interaction between ionic conductivity and electronic conductivity.