Study of the Mechanical Performance of Self-Cleaning Cement-Based Composites Containing Nanoscale Photocatalysts: The Influence of nano-SnO۲ addition

The mechanical and self-cleaning properties of ordinary portland cement-based compositescontaining nanosized n-type semiconductors were investigated. The self-cleaning propertiesof these composites were determined by measuring the color variation of the samples underultraviolet light. The ۷- and ۲۸-day compressive strength of the composites with SnO۲nanoparticles improved compared with the control samples. SEM, XRD, and FT-IR wereused to investigate the microstructure, phase composition, and variations in the structure ofcalcium-silicate hydrates. The SEM test revealed the microstructure of composites containingSnO۲ nanoparticles is more uniform and compact compared with the control samples. Thecomposites with SnO۲ nanoparticles demonstrate photocatalytic, self-cleaning, and depollutingproperties.

Keywords:

SnO۲-nanoparticles , hydration , mechanical properties , self-cleaning , photocatalytic materials