Nacre-like gradient cementitious composites for effective crack resistance and ultra-broadband microwave absorption

IF 14.2 1区材料科学 Q1 ENGINEERING, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Composites Part B: Engineering Pub Date : 2025-07-14 DOI:10.1016/j.compositesb.2025.112813

Yihao Xiao , Yahui Xue

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Cement-based materials serve as the cornerstone of modern construction and building engineering. Their abundance, low cost, and long service life position them as promising candidates for electromagnetic wave absorption (EMA). However, inherent brittleness and low electrical conductivity limit their effectiveness in this domain. Here, inspired by the hierarchical architectures of natural materials, such as nacre and antler, we develop nacre-like gradient structural cementitious composites (NGSCs) with enhanced toughness and crack resistance. The layered structure with a conductivity gradient further endows NGSCs with superior ultra-broadband EMA performance. Composed of millimeter-scale cement tablets bonded by ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) interfaces and reinforced with a gradient distribution of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), NGSCs enhance ductility and damage tolerance through stress delocalization and process zone toughening induced by tablet sliding. Extrinsic mechanisms—such as crack deflection and interface bridging—concurrently inhibit crack propagation. Compared to traditional hardened cement paste, NGSCs show a 299.7-fold increase in ductility, a 145.9-fold improvement in flexural toughness, and a 20.0-fold enhancement in fracture toughness. Furthermore, the multilayered gradient structure enhances electromagnetic wave (EMW) capture via tailored impedance matching, while maintaining an extended absorption path and strong EM energy attenuation. As a result, NGSCs achieve efficient EMA across both high (13–20 GHz) and low (3.8–5.2 GHz) frequency bands—outperforming previously reported cement-based EM absorbers at equivalent thicknesses. By integrating blade coating, pre-grooving, and layer-by-layer assembly techniques, we propose a scalable fabrication strategy for multifunctional, high-performance cementitious composites, advancing the practical application of structural EM absorbers in engineering.

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类珠状梯度胶凝复合材料的有效抗裂和超宽带微波吸收

水泥基材料是现代建筑和建筑工程的基石。它们的丰度、低成本和长使用寿命使它们成为电磁波吸收（EMA）的有前途的候选者。然而，其固有的脆性和低导电性限制了其在该领域的有效性。在这里，受天然材料（如珍珠和鹿角）的分层结构的启发，我们开发了具有增强韧性和抗裂性的珍珠状梯度结构胶凝复合材料（NGSCs）。具有电导率梯度的层状结构进一步赋予了NGSCs优越的超宽带EMA性能。NGSCs由由乙烯-醋酸乙烯（EVA）界面粘合的毫米级水泥片组成，并以梯度分布的碳纳米管（CNTs）增强，通过片滑动引起的应力离域和过程区增韧来增强延展性和损伤容限。外部机制，如裂纹挠曲和界面桥接，同时抑制裂纹扩展。与传统硬化水泥浆体相比，NGSCs的延展性提高了299.7倍，弯曲韧性提高了145.9倍，断裂韧性提高了20.0倍。此外，多层梯度结构通过定制阻抗匹配增强了电磁波（EMW）捕获，同时保持了扩展的吸收路径和强的电磁能量衰减。因此，NGSCs在高频段（13-20 GHz）和低频段（3.8-5.2 GHz）都能实现高效的电磁吸收，在同等厚度下优于之前报道的水泥基电磁吸收剂。通过整合叶片涂层、预开槽和逐层组装技术，我们提出了一种多功能、高性能胶凝复合材料的可扩展制造策略，促进了结构电磁吸收剂在工程中的实际应用。

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来源期刊

Composites Part B: Engineering 工程技术-材料科学：复合

CiteScore

24.40

自引率

11.50%

发文量

784

审稿时长

21 days

期刊介绍： Composites Part B: Engineering is a journal that publishes impactful research of high quality on composite materials. This research is supported by fundamental mechanics and materials science and engineering approaches. The targeted research can cover a wide range of length scales, ranging from nano to micro and meso, and even to the full product and structure level. The journal specifically focuses on engineering applications that involve high performance composites. These applications can range from low volume and high cost to high volume and low cost composite development. The main goal of the journal is to provide a platform for the prompt publication of original and high quality research. The emphasis is on design, development, modeling, validation, and manufacturing of engineering details and concepts. The journal welcomes both basic research papers and proposals for review articles. Authors are encouraged to address challenges across various application areas. These areas include, but are not limited to, aerospace, automotive, and other surface transportation. The journal also covers energy-related applications, with a focus on renewable energy. Other application areas include infrastructure, off-shore and maritime projects, health care technology, and recreational products.