A review on carbon nanofiber production and application in cementitious mixtures

Carbon nanofibers are a type of one-dimensional nanomaterials that have recently received increasing attention for application in cementitious mixtures. The excellent properties of CNFs such as their high tensile strength and electrical conductivity provide an opportunity to produce new generation of concretes with enhanced engineering performance and additional functionalities such as self-sensing. Properties of CNFs can be tailored during their synthesis process based on the specific requirements of the intended application. Thus far, several studies have been conducted on the CNF synthesis methods, however, most of these studies do not include the performance criteria required for application in cementitious mixtures. Understanding of current practices in the CNF synthesis from the perspective of their application in cementitious mixtures equips researchers with the knowledge and insights that can be used to modify the properties of CNFs during the synthesis process to enhance their applications in the concrete industry. Therefore, the current study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art progress in CNF synthesis methods and their application in cementitious mixtures in two main parts. The first part covers the intrinsic properties of CNFs and various methods used for their synthesis while the second part focuses on the utilization of CNFs in cementitious mixtures, including their dispersion and dispersion quantification methods, and their impact on the properties of cementitious mixtures. Furthermore, it discusses practical use of CNFs in the production of new types of concrete.