Nanoarchitectonics effect of few-layer graphene on the properties of cement mortar

•The number of layers is an important indicator to measure the properties of graphene.•Few-layer graphene can improve the mechanical properties of cement mortar.•Within the scope of test, the optimal dosage of Few-layer graphene is 0.04% ∼ 0.06%. To further study graphene/mortar composites, the effects of few-layer graphene (FLG) on the fluidity, mechanical properties (compressive strength and flexural strength) and electrical properties of cement mortar were systematically studied in this paper, through SEM, XRD and EDS to analyze the mechanism. Meanwhile, AFM, Raman and SEM were used to characterize the layer number and structure of FLG. The results show that the layer number of FLG is between 3 and 6 layers, which shows a hexagonal honeycomb structure and interlayer stacking phenomenon. The addition of FLG can reduce the fluidity of mortar, while improve the conductivity of mortar, and FLG/mortar composites present NTC effect. 28 d compressive strength and flexural strength of mortar increased by 38.1% and 58.03% respectively with the addition of FLG. FLG has the effect of nano filling and overlapping hydration products, which can promote the better connection between cement paste and aggregate, thus the structure of mortar more dense.