Use of Carbon Nanotubes for the Functionalization of Concrete for Sensing Applications

This study advances the development of self-sensing concrete through functionalization with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for structural health monitoring. Through experimental analyses, it relies on its dual responsiveness to mechanical and thermal stimuli. Three-point bending and thermal tests were systematically conducted on concrete samples with CNT concentrations ranging from 0 to 0.05 wt.% of cement, evaluated at 7- and 28-day curing periods. Mechanical testing demonstrated curing-dependent behavior: At 7 days, mechanical strength and electrical current response exhibited pronounced variability across CNTs loadings, with optimal balance achieved at 0.01% CNTs. At 28 days, the tests show that the mechanical properties are relatively stabilized, reaching the highest value at 0.006 wt.% CNTs and achieving the best electrical sensitivity at 0.01 wt.% CNTs. The thermal experiments revealed faster current modulation in the 7-day samples than in the 28-day counterparts, with intermediate CNT concentrations (e.g., 0.01 wt.%) showing a more sensitive response. The sensitivity was analyzed for both mechanical and thermal changes to further evaluate the feasibility of using CNT-reinforced concrete as a sensor material. Conductivity measurements on fully cured samples indicated that all samples exhibited electrical conductivities in the 10^-4 S/m range, suggesting semiconductive behavior, while 0.006 wt.% CNTs yielded the highest conductivity. Higher CNT content did not further improve conductivity, likely due to agglomeration disrupting the network. These findings confirm CNT-modified concrete's dual electromechanical and thermal responsiveness and support its potential as a multifunctional sensing material.