Manganese zinc ferrite composite graphene oxide improves the macroscopic and microscopic properties of cement paste

Graphene oxide (GO) had great potential in improving the performance of cement-based materials. However, the strong interaction between GO sheets was easy to cause agglomeration, which seriously limited the full play of its enhancement effect. To address this issue, this study proposed a novel strategy using manganese-zinc ferrite (MZF) to assist the dispersion of GO, aiming to solve the key problems of uneven dispersion and poor stability of GO in cement-based materials. In this study, MZF@GO materials with different composite ratios (MZF: GO = 2:1, 5:1, 10:1) were prepared. The dispersion behavior of MZF@GO was discussed. The effects of MZF@GO on the hydration process, macroscopic properties, and microstructure of cement composites were systematically studied. The results showed that MZF formed strong interfacial bonding with GO through chemical coordination, exhibiting excellent dispersion stability in simulated cement pore solution. After adding cement, MZF@GO accelerated the hydration heat release of cement, and the peak heat flow of MZF-5@GO was the highest (2.1 mW/g). Compared with the JZ group (curing 28 days), the compressive strength of MZF-2@GO, MZF-5@GO, and MZF-10@GO samples increased by 9.39%, 16.18%, and 8.87%, respectively, while the flexural strength increased by 22.67%, 32.86% and 26.03%, respectively. Meanwhile, the total porosity of the MZF-5@GO group decreased by about 13.26%, indicating that the dispersed GO could effectively promote the growth of hydration products and reduce harmful pores, whereas MZF primarily contributed through physical filling. MZF@GO did not significantly reduce the resistivity of cement composites. Overall, MZF served as an effective dispersing medium for GO and provided a new approach for its efficient application in cement-based materials.