The effects of Al2O3 and ZnO nanoparticles on properties of fresh and set cement slurry

Nanomaterials and their unique properties have already been used in many branches of the industry, enabling the creation of materials having very favorable properties, allowing to improve the properties of existing products and creating new ones. Improving the mechanical properties of materials containing nanoparticles as an additive is just one of the many possibilities of their use. The article presents the preliminary results of the influence of nano alumia oxide (nano-Al2O3) and nano zinc oxide (nano-ZnO) on the properties of fresh and set cement slurries. In the research, to Portland cement CEM I 32.5R were added 1, 3, 5% nano-Al2O3 solution and 0.01 and 0.1% nano-ZnO powder. The study confirmed that the addition of even small amounts of nano-Al2O3 and nano-ZnO improves the strength of set cement as compared to the sample base without such additive, and also causes compaction of the microstructure and thereby reducing the porosity and gas permeability. Such modified set cement slurries exhibit high compressive strength and high adhesion to steel pipes. Set cement slurries have a compact microstructure with a low content of macropores. On the basis of tests it may also be noted, that too much nano oxides reduces the strength of the hardened cement slurry, which may be due to difficulty in uniform distribution of large quantities of nanoparticles in the slurry and the formation of large agglomerates of nanoparticles, which weaken the structure of set cement slurries.