FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
[39 OF 1970]
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
[See section 10 and rule 13]
“GRAPHENE REINFORCED CONCRETE, METHOD(S) AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF”
NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE APPLICANT:
RELIANCE INDUSTRIES LIMITED
3rd Floor, Maker Chamber-IV, 222, Nariman Point, Mumbai – 400 021, Maharashtra,
India
NATIONALITY: IN
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of material science. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to concrete, and more particularly to concrete reinforced by the inclusion of a quantity of graphene, and to a method of manufacture thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Concrete is made of a mixture of cement, sand, stone, and water. Concrete solidifies and hardens due to hydration after mixing with water. The cement reacts with the water and subsequently bonds with the other components, eventually leading to a stone-like material. Concrete as a construction material, has found wide range of application including in the construction of pavements, architectural structures, foundations roads, bridges, pipes, slabs, footings for gates, fences, poles, parking structures etc.
Conventional concrete compositions are typically brittle when cured. These conventional compositions often fail due to compressional, hydraulic and/or shear stresses, those are exerted on the set cement. Various efforts have been made for the production of concrete with improved mechanical property and enhanced durability to reduce the overall maintenance cost. The primary mineral additives which have been added in certain proportions to improve the strength of the concrete are silica fume, rice husk ash, carbon fibre, steel fibre, natural pumice etc. Continuous high-modulus polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibres were used in cementitious mixture and significant improvement was obtained in the mechanical properties. However, use of these types of fibres, particularly carbon fibres, did not gain traction due to their high cost.
The heating of the kilns to high temperatures during cement creation process, requires the burning of fossil fuels, thus releasing carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is also released as the limestone breaks down during the cement creation.  There is increased pressure for cement manufacturers to adhere to the legislation regarding the emissions. Cement manufacturing is not only expensive but also harmful to the environment. Due to economic and environmental concerns, there is an imminent need for developing the concrete compositions comprising less cement keeping the mechanical properties unchanged or even improved compared to the conventional concrete.

The hydration of cement generates enormous amount of heat. The phases responsible for heat generation during the hydration process are tricalcium silicate (C3S), dicalcium silicate (C2S), tricalcium aluminate (C3A) and tetracalcium aluminoferrite (C4AF). Due to poor heat dissipation in massive concrete, a temperature gradient gets created between the inner core and the outer surface of the element which results in large tensile stresses. When this tensile strength exceeds the tensile strength of concrete, it leads to thermal cracking. Various additives including carbon nanotube, titanium oxide, nanosilica, nanoalumina, hydrated salts, fatty acids have been incorporated in the concrete composition to enhance the thermal stability mainly through the increase in heat capacity.
Steel is being used in reinforced concrete to improve the mechanical properties that are needed in structural concrete. In this reinforced concrete, the tensile strength of steel and the compressive strength of concrete work together to withstand tensile and shear stresses caused by traffic, winds, dead loads, and thermal cycling. However, steel is prone to corrosion due to low impermeability of the concrete to water and chloride salts. Reduction in the cross-sectional area of steel consequently decreases its strength capacity which finally affects the integrity of the structure. There are various concrete additives used to reduce permeability to chloride ions and water for eg: silica fume, blast-furnace slag, fly ash, calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA), ground expanded perlite, organosilicon etc. However, few of these additives suffer from difficulties during mixing, few face barrier due to high cost and limited employability specially in a harsh environment.
Freeze–thaw durability of concrete materials is a key aspect affecting the lifetime and durability of concrete structures in cold climate. F–T performance depends predominantly on the interior structure of the material, such as its porousness, crack, pores types and size. The adopted method for increasing concrete frost resistance mainly comprises controlling water to cement ratio, incorporating premium quality mineral admixture, employing mix air entrapment agent, resin impregnation. However, all these methods contribute significantly to an increase in concrete production cost and in many instances lead to reduced durability, especially when it comes to freeze/thaw-resistance.
Considering all of the above, there is clearly a need for a concrete based material that can be produced in a cost-efficient manner and provide increased strength and durability.

STATEMENT OF DISCLOSURE
The present disclosure addresses the need in the art for a cost effective, strong, durable and environment friendly concrete composition. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a graphene reinforced concrete. In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete is particularly characterized by presence of a low amount of graphene.
Particularly, the present disclosure provides a graphene reinforced concrete comprising cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s) and one or more of sand, concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture(s) and reinforcement fibre(s); wherein the graphene reinforced concrete comprises the graphene and/or its derivative(s) at a concentration of about 0.001 wt% to about 2 wt%; and wherein the graphene or its derivatives comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises about 0.005 wt% to about 0.1 wt% of the graphene or its derivatives.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete further comprises moisture; wherein the graphene reinforced concrete comprises the moisture at a concentration ranging from about 5 wt% to about 20 wt%.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete has about 11% to about 146% higher compressive strength than conventional concrete; about 15% to about 90% higher flexural strength than conventional concrete and about 24% to about 73% higher fracture toughness than conventional.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete is substantially impermeable to water.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete has at least 5% higher compressive strength as compared to concrete comprising graphene having 6 or more layers; at least 5% higher flexural strength as compared to concrete comprising graphene having 6 or more layers; and/or at least 70% lesser water permeability as compared to as compared to concrete comprising graphene having 6 or more layers.

Further, the present disclosure provides a method of preparing the graphene reinforced
concrete as described above, comprising
preparing a graphene dispersion; and
mixing the graphene dispersion with the cement, optionally along with one or more of
the sand, the concrete aggregate(s), the concrete admixture and the reinforcement fibre(s)
to obtain a mixture; and
curing the mixture to obtain the graphene reinforced concrete.
In some embodiments, the graphene dispersion is prepared by dispersing and blending the graphene and/or its derivatives in a liquid medium optionally along with one or more dispersing agent(s) to obtain the graphene dispersion; wherein the liquid medium is water; and wherein the water is selected from tap water, recycled water, distilled water, double distilled water, milliQ water, and deionized water or any combination thereof.
In some embodiments, the dispersing agent(s) is selected from a group comprising Poly vinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS), sodium hexameta phosphate (SHP), sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) any combination thereof.
In some embodiments, the graphene dispersion comprises about 0.05% to about 5% of the graphene and/or its derivatives; about 0.1% to about 5% of the of the dispersing agent(s).
In some embodiments, the curing is performed at a temperature of about 10°C to about 50°C; and/or wherein the curing is performed for about 7 hours to about 56 hours.
Further provided in the present disclosure is a graphene reinforced concrete produced by
a method comprising:
preparing a graphene dispersion; and
mixing the graphene dispersion with cement, optionally along with one or more of sand,
concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture and reinforcement fibre(s) to obtain a mixture;
and
curing the mixture to obtain the graphene reinforced concrete.

In some embodiments, the above defined graphene reinforced concrete has at least 15% higher compressive strength than graphene reinforced concrete prepared from a solid form of graphene.
In some embodiments, the above defined graphene reinforced concrete the graphene reinforced concrete has at least 10% higher flexural strength than graphene reinforced concrete prepared from a solid form of graphene.
In some embodiments, the above defined graphene reinforced concrete the graphene reinforced has at least 50% lesser water permeability than graphene reinforced concrete prepared from a solid form of graphene.
Further envisaged herein is use of the graphene reinforced concrete as defined in any of the above embodiments in construction.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
In view of the limitations discussed above, and to remedy the inherent shortcomings of concrete in terms of cost effectiveness, impact on the environment and overall strength and durability, the present disclosure aims to provides a graphene reinforced concrete characterized by beneficial features such as but not limited to high compressive, flexural and tensile strength, and high freeze-thraw resistance.
However, before describing the invention in greater detail, it is important to take note of the common terms and phrases that are employed throughout the present disclosure for better understanding of the technology provided herein.
As used throughout the present disclosure, the term ‘graphene reinforced concrete’ refers to concrete material imbedded, doped or infused with graphene. This has interchangeably been referred to as “GRC” in the present disclosure.
Throughout the present disclosure, the term ‘graphene’ is intended to convey the ordinary conventional meaning of the term known to a person skilled in the art and intends to cover ‘graphene’ as an allotrope of carbon consisting of a single or multiple layers of carbon

atoms. More specifically, ‘graphene’ is a term for a modification of carbon having a two-dimensional structure in which each carbon atom is surrounded by three additional carbon atoms to form a honeycomb pattern. In this regard, graphene can be regarded as a single graphite layer. However, in the context of the present invention, the term ‘graphene’ also includes a thin stack of single graphite layers, having physical properties substantially different from those of the graphite bulk material due to their small thickness. Additional names for such multilayer graphene are, inter alia, graphite (nano) plates, nanoscale graphite and expanded graphite plates. Accordingly, graphene employed in the present disclosure maybe a single layered or multi layered graphene. The graphene employed herein preferably has high surface area, typically ranging between 100 m2/g to 1000 m2/g, more typically between 300 m2/g to 500 m2/g. There are various approaches to the preparation of graphene, for example mechanical or chemical exfoliation of graphite or epitaxial growth to silicon carbide or to transition metals. Reference to ‘graphene’ in the present disclosure also envisages employability of ‘graphene derivatives’ in the same context.
Throughout the present disclosure, the terms ‘graphene derivatives’, ‘derivatives of graphene’ or the likes are intended to convey the ordinary conventional meaning of the term known to a person skilled in the art and intends to cover structural analogs of graphene, or compounds derived from graphene and having similar characteristics of graphene. In some embodiments of the disclosure, graphene derivatives encompass monolayer graphene, bilayer graphene, graphene platelets, graphene nanoplatelets, graphene oxides, reduced graphene oxides, functionalized graphene, doped graphene, graphene decorated with metal particles, nanosized graphene, graphene quantum dots or any other graphene containing material.
In embodiments of the disclosure, ‘graphene derivatives’ encompass functionalized graphene. Further, said term ‘functionalized’ or ‘functionalization’ is used interchangeably and is intended to convey the ordinary conventional meaning of the term known to a person skilled in the art in the field of polymer or material science, and intends to cover a process of adding new functions, features, capabilities, or properties to a material by changing the surface chemistry of the material. In the context of graphene employed in the present disclosure, the term is used to cover functionalization of graphene including reactions of graphene (and its derivatives) with organic and/or

inorganic molecules, chemical modification of the graphene surface, and the interaction of various covalent and noncovalent components with graphene. The functionalization of graphene is surface modification used to reduce the cohesive force between the graphene sheets and to manipulate the physical and chemical properties of graphene.
In the context of the present disclosure, the term ‘graphene dispersion’ or obvious variants thereof refer to a dispersion of graphene wherein the graphene is dispersed throughout a material or liquid medium without substantial aggregation of the graphene.
Reference to ‘conventional concrete’ or ‘control’ as referred to in the examples is in relation to concrete lacking cement.
One of the objectives of the present disclosure is to provide concrete material having improved mechanical properties such as but not limited to improved compressive, flexural, split tensile strength and crack resistance.
Another objective of the present disclosure is to provide concrete material having improved having improved durability.
A further objective of the present disclosure is to reduce the amount of cement required in the concrete material.
The present disclosure addresses the need in the art for a cost effective, strong, durable and environment friendly concrete composition. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a graphene reinforced concrete. Graphene is a single atom thick two-dimensional carbon-based nanomaterial with high aspect ratio, hexagonal honeycomb structure and huge specific area. It possesses exceptional thermal and mechanical properties. Its unique physical structure including shape, morphology, particle size and chemical functionalities comprising of sp2 carbon network and oxygen functionalities make it a potential multifunctional additive for concrete reinforcement. Incorporating graphene in the concrete composition can simultaneously provide improvement in the compressive, flexural, split tensile strength, crack resistance, thermal and freeze thaw durability and reduced water permeability, chloride ingress. In the context of the present

disclosure, graphene enables the use of lower amount of cement in concrete which can decrease the production cost and trigger the low carbon emission without compromising the mechanical property and lifespan of the concrete.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete is particularly characterized by presence of a low amount of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises graphene and/or its derivative(s). In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises graphene or its derivatives at a concentration of about 0.001 wt% to about 2 wt%. In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete further comprises one or more of sand, concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture(s) and reinforcement fibre(s).
Accordingly, provided in the present disclosure is a graphene reinforced concrete comprising cement, graphene and one or more of sand, concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture(s) and reinforcement fibre(s); wherein the graphene reinforced concrete comprises the graphene or its derivatives at a concentration of about 0.001 wt% to about 2 wt%.
In an exemplary embodiment, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises graphene or its derivatives at a concentration of about 0.005% to about 0.1%. Thus, in some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and additional component(s) selected from a group comprising sand, concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture(s) and reinforcement fibre(s) or any combination thereof; wherein the graphene is present at a concentration of about 0.005 wt% to about 0.1 wt%.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises graphene or its derivatives at a concentration of about 0.001 wt%, about 0.005 wt%, about 0.01 wt%, about 0.05 wt%, about 0.1 wt%, about 0.5 wt%, about 1 wt%, about 1.5 wt% or about 2wt%, including intermediate values falling between each of the said values.
In exemplary embodiments, provided herein is a graphene reinforced concrete comprising graphene or its derivatives at a concentration of about 0.005% to about 0.1%.

In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises graphene or its derivatives at a concentration of about 0.001 wt%, about 0.005 wt%, about 0.01 wt%, about 0.05 wt% or about 0.1 wt%, including intermediate values falling between each of the said values.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and one or more of sand, concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture(s) and reinforcement fibre(s); wherein the graphene reinforced concrete comprises about 0.001 wt%, about 0.005 wt%, about 0.01 wt%, about 0.05 wt%, about 0.1 wt%, about 0.5 wt%, about 1 wt%, about 1.5 wt% or about 2wt% of the graphene or its derivatives including, intermediate values falling between each of the said values.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the graphene or graphene derivative(s) comprise about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises 1-layered graphene or its derivatives.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises 2-layered graphene or its derivatives.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises 3-layered graphene or its derivatives.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises 4-layered graphene or its derivatives.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises 5-layered graphene or its derivatives.
In some embodiments, the graphene or graphene derivative(s) uniformly comprises any one of 1 to 5 layer graphene or a combination of 1, 3, 4 and/or 5 layer graphene.

In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and additional components selected from a group comprising sand, concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture(s) and reinforcement fibre(s) or any combination thereof; wherein the graphene comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and additional component(s) selected from a group comprising sand, concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture(s) and reinforcement fibre(s) or any combination thereof; wherein the graphene is present at a concentration of about 0.001 wt% to about 2 wt%; and wherein the graphene comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises pure graphene. In some embodiments, the graphene has purity ranging from about 99% to about 99.9999%.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the graphene or graphene derivative(s) is in a form selected from a group comprising graphene platelets, graphene nanoplatelets, graphene oxides, reduced graphene oxides, functionalized graphene, doped graphene, graphene decorated with metal particles, nanosized graphene, graphene quantum dots and any graphene containing material or any combination thereof.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises cement selected from a group comprising ordinary portland cement (OPC), portland pozzolana cement (PPC), rapid hardening cement, quick setting cement, low heat cement, sulfates resisting cement, blast furnace slag cement, high alumina cement, white cement colored cement, air entraining cement, expansive cement and hydrographic cement or any combination thereof.
As mentioned above, one of the objectives of the present disclosure is to provide a concrete based composition that reduces the requirement of cement in the preparation of concrete. The process of cement manufacturing releases enormous amount of greenhouse gases during burning of fossil fuel and during the chemical reaction that changes raw material to clinker. Hence the manufacturing of huge quantity concrete is impacting the

environment in a potentially adverse way. As cement is expensive, there is an urgent need to reduce costs by using less cement without compromising on the strength of the material and its withstanding capacity to the pressure loads. Moreover, since cement manufacturing is energy intensive, using less cement is also of interest in order to save energy and reduce pollution.
Accordingly, in some embodiments, provided herein is a graphene reinforced concrete comprising at the most about 25% cement.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises cement at a concentration of about 5 wt% to about 25 wt% .
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises cement at a concentration of about 5 wt%, about 6 wt%, about 7 wt%, about 8 wt%, about 9 wt%, about 10 wt%, about 11 wt%, about 12 wt%, about 13 wt%, about 14 wt%, about 15 wt%, about 16 wt%, about 17 wt%, about 18 wt%, about 19 wt%, about 20 wt%, about 21 wt%, about 22 wt%, about 23 wt%, about 24 wt% or about 25 wt%, including intermediate values falling between each of the defined values.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises graphene or its derivatives at a concentration of about 0.001 wt% to about 2 wt%; and cement at a concentration less than or equal to about 25%.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises graphene or its derivatives at a concentration of about 0.005 wt% to about 0.1 wt%; and cement at a concentration less than or equal to about 25%.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s) and additional component(s) selected from a group comprising sand, concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture(s) and reinforcement fibre(s) or any combination thereof; wherein the graphene is present at a concentration of about 0.001 wt% to about 2 wt%; wherein the cement is present at a

concentration less than or equal to about 25% and wherein the graphene comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s) and additional component(s) selected from a group comprising sand, concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture(s) and reinforcement fibre(s) or any combination thereof; wherein the graphene is present at a concentration of about 0.001 wt% to about 2 wt%; wherein the cement is present at a concentration of about 5% to about 25%; and wherein the graphene comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises sand.
The graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure, accordingly, in some embodiments, comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s) and sand.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand and additional component(s) selected from a group comprising concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture(s) and reinforcement fibre(s) or any combination thereof.
Examples of sand employable in the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure include but are not limited to river sand, concrete sand, fill sand, coarse sand, utility sand, pit sand, fine sand and M-Sand or any combination thereof.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises sand at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 55 wt%.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises sand at a concentration of about 25 wt%, about 30 wt%, about 35 wt%, about 40 wt%, about 45 wt%, about 50 wt% or about 55 wt%, including intermediate values falling between each of the defined values.

In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand and additional components selected from a group comprising concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture(s) and reinforcement fibre(s) or any combination thereof; wherein the graphene is present at a concentration of about 0.001 wt% to about 2 wt%; wherein the cement is present at a concentration of about 5 wt% to about 25 wt%; wherein the sand is present at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 55 wt%; and wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises concrete aggregate(s). Said graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure of the present disclosure, accordingly, in some embodiments, comprises graphene and/or its derivative(s), cement, and concrete aggregate. In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand and concrete aggregate.
In some embodiments, said concrete aggregate(s) is a coarse aggregate or a fine aggregate. In some embodiments, the concrete aggregate(s) comprises granular materials selected from a group comprising sand, gravel and crushed stone or any combination thereof.
In some embodiments, the aggregate is a collection of a single or multiple components. In some embodiments, the aggregate is a mass, assemblage, or sum of particulars. In some embodiments, the individual components of the aggregate are added to the concrete preparation process individually. In some embodiments, the aggregate is prepared at the site of concrete production before adding to the process for preparation of graphene reinforced concrete. In some embodiments, the aggregate is a pre-prepared, ready-to-use, commercially available aggregate.
In some embodiments, the concrete aggregate(s) has particle size ranging from about 4mm to about 40mm in diameter.
In some embodiments, the concrete aggregate(s) has a particle diameter of about 4mm, about 5mm, about 6mm, about 7mm, about 8mm, about 9mm, about 10mm, about 11mm,

about 12mm, about 13mm, about 14mm, about 15mm, about 16mm, about 17mm, about 18mm, about 19mm, about 20mm, about 21mm, about 22mm, about 23mm, about 24mm, about 25mm, about 26mm, about 27mm, about 28mm, about 29mm, about 30mm, about 31mm, about 32mm, about 33mm, about 34mm, about 35mm, about 36mm, about 37mm, about 38mm, about 39mm or about 40mm.
In some embodiments, the concrete aggregate(s) is coarse aggregate having particle size greater than about 4.75mm, preferably ranging from about 9.5mm and 37.5mm in diameter.
In some embodiments, the concrete aggregate(s) is fine aggregate having particle size less than about 9.55mm in diameter. In a non-limiting embodiment, the fine aggregate comprises sand and/or crushed stone.
In some embodiments, the concrete aggregate(s) is a mixture of coarse aggregate and fine aggregate.
Accordingly, in some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises cement, graphene, sand, coarse aggregate and fine aggregate.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises concrete aggregate(s) at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 50 wt%.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises concrete aggregate(s) at a concentration of about 25 wt%, about 30 wt%, about 35 wt%, about 40 wt%, about 45 wt% or about 50 wt%.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s) and concrete aggregate(s); wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.05 wt% to about 0.1 wt%; wherein the concrete aggregate(s) is present at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 50 wt%; and wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.

In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), concrete aggregate(s) and additional components selected from a group comprising sand, concrete admixture(s) and reinforcement fibre(s) or any combination thereof; wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.001 wt% to about 2 wt%; wherein the concrete aggregate(s) is present at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 50 wt%; and wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand and concrete aggregate(s); wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.05 wt% to about 0.1 wt%; wherein the sand is present at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 55 wt%; wherein the concrete aggregate(s) is present at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 50 wt%; and wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand, concrete aggregate(s) and additional components selected from a group comprising concrete admixture(s) and reinforcement fibre(s) or a combination thereof; wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.001 wt% to about 2 wt%; wherein the cement is present at a concentration of about 5 wt% to about 25 wt%; wherein the sand is present at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 55 wt%; wherein the concrete aggregate(s) is present at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 50 wt%; and wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises concrete admixture(s). Said graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure of the present disclosure, accordingly, in some embodiments, comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s) and concrete admixture.

In some embodiments, the in some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand and concrete admixture.
In exemplary embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand, concrete aggregate(s) and concrete admixture.
In exemplary embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand, fine concrete aggregate(s), coarse concrete aggregate(s) and concrete admixture.
In some embodiments, examples of the concrete admixture include but are not limited to water reducer, superplasticizer, retarder, accelerator, shrinkage preventer, segregation reducer, and heat evolution reducer or any combination thereof.
In some embodiments, the admixture is a single component or a collection of multiple components. In some embodiments, the admixture is a mass, assemblage, or sum of particulars. In some embodiments, the individual components of the admixture are added to the concrete preparation process individually. In some embodiments, the admixture is prepared at the site of concrete production before adding to the process for preparation of graphene reinforced concrete. In some embodiments, the admixture is a pre-prepared, ready-to-use, commercially available admixture.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises concrete admixture at a concentration of about 0.1 wt% to about 2 wt%.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises concrete admixture at a concentration of about 0.1 wt%, about 0.5 wt%, about 1 wt%, about 1.5 wt% or about 2 wt%.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s) and concrete admixture; wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.001 wt% to about 2 wt%; wherein the concrete admixture is present at a concentration of about 0.1 wt% to

about 2 wt%; and wherein the graphene comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene and/or its derivative(s).
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), concrete admixture and additional components selected from a group comprising sand, concrete aggregate(s) and reinforcement fibre(s) or any combination thereof; wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.001 wt% to about 2 wt%; wherein the concrete admixture is present at a concentration of about 0.1 wt% to about 2 wt%; and wherein the graphene comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene and/or its derivative(s).
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand, and concrete admixture; wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.05 wt% to about 0.1 wt%; wherein the sand is present at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 55 wt%; wherein the concrete admixture is present at a concentration of about 0.1 wt% to about 2 wt%; and wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand, concrete aggregate(s) and concrete admixture; wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.05 wt% to about 0.1 wt%; wherein the sand is present at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 55 wt%; wherein the concrete aggregate(s) is present at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 50 wt%; wherein the concrete admixture is present at a concentration of about 0.1 wt% to about 2 wt%; and wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand, concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture(s) and optionally reinforcement fibre(s); wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.001 wt% to about 2 wt%; wherein

the cement is present at a concentration of about 5 wt% to about 25 wt%; wherein the sand is present at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 55 wt%; wherein the concrete aggregate(s) is present at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 50 wt%; wherein the concrete admixture is present at a concentration of about 0.1 wt% to about 2 wt%; and wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete as described in any of the above embodiments further comprises reinforcement fibre(s). Said graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure of the present disclosure, accordingly, in some embodiments, comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s) and reinforcement fibre(s). In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand, concrete admixture and reinforcement fibre. In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand, concrete aggregate(s) and reinforcement fibre. In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), concrete admixture, concrete aggregate(s) and reinforcement fibre.
In exemplary embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand, concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture and reinforcement fibre(s).
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand, fine concrete aggregate(s), coarse concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture and reinforcement fibre(s).
In some embodiments, the reinforcement fibre(s) is selected from but not limited to short cut polyester fibre, polypropylene fibre and polyethylene fibre or any combination thereof.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises reinforcement fibre(s) at a concentration of about 0.1 wt% to about 1 wt%.

In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises reinforcement fibre(s) at a concentration of about 0.1 wt%, about 0.2%, about 0.3%, about 0.4%, about 0.5%, about 0.6%, about 0.7%, about 0.8%, about 0.9% or about 1 wt%.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, and reinforcement fibre(s); wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.001 wt% to about 2 wt%; wherein the reinforcement fibre(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.1 wt% to about 1 wt%; and wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), reinforcement fibre(s) and additional components selected from a group comprising sand, concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture and reinforcement fibre(s) or any combination thereof; wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.001 wt% to about 2 wt%; wherein the reinforcement fibre(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.1 wt% to about 1 wt%; and wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand, and reinforcement fibre(s); wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.05 wt% to about 0.1 wt%; wherein the sand is present at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 55 wt%; wherein the reinforcement fibre(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.1 wt% to about 1 wt%; and wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand, concrete aggregate(s) and reinforcement fibre(s); wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.05 wt% to about 0.1 wt%; wherein the sand is present at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 55 wt%; wherein the concrete aggregate(s) is

present at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 50 wt%; wherein the reinforcement fibre(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.1 wt% to about 1 wt%;and wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand, concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture(s) and reinforcement fibre(s); wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.001 wt% to about 2 wt%; wherein the cement is present at a concentration of about 5 wt% to about 25 wt%; wherein the sand is present at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 55 wt%; wherein the concrete aggregate(s) is present at a concentration of about 25 wt% to about 50 wt%; wherein the concrete admixture is present at a concentration of about 0.1 wt% to about 2 wt%; wherein the reinforcement fibre(s) is present at a concentration of about 0.1 wt% to about 1 wt%; and wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete as described in any of the above embodiments is prepared by curing a mixture of graphene and/or its derivative(s), cement and one or more of sand, concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture(s) and reinforcement fibre(s) in the presence of water. In view of the graphene reinforced concrete being a product of curing performed in presence of water, the graphene reinforced concrete, in some embodiments, further contains moisture.
Thus, in some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand, concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture, reinforcement fibre(s) and moisture.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete comprises cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s), sand, fine concrete aggregate(s), coarse concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture, reinforcement fibre(s) and moisture.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete as defined in any of the above embodiments has a moisture content of about 5 wt% to about 20 wt%.

In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete has a moisture content of about 5 wt%, about 6 wt%, about 7 wt%, about 8 wt%, about 9 wt%, about 10 wt%, about 11 wt%, about 12 wt%, about 13 wt%, about 14 wt%, about 15 wt%, about 16 wt%, about 17 wt%, about 18 wt% about 19 wt% or about 20 wt%.
In some embodiments, the components of the graphene reinforced concrete defined in terms of absolute wt% values or wt% ranges are such that they make up the total percentage weight of the graphene reinforced concrete to 100%.
The inherent shortcoming of cement-based material like concrete is the quasi-brittle nature, making it prone to crack formation and low tensile strength. These defects seriously impact the mechanical properties and durability of concrete structures, therefore calling for frequent maintenance. The graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure overcomes these issues.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete exhibits about 11% to about 146% improvement in compressive strength as compared to conventional concrete.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete exhibits about 15% to about 90% improvement in the flexural strength as compared to conventional concrete.
Hydration of cement leads to the generation of enormous amount of heat. Due to low thermal diffusivity in mass concrete, a temperature gradient is created between the inner core and the outer surface of the element. High temperature gradients generate tensile stresses and if that exceed the tensile strength of concrete it results in thermal cracking.
Addressing the above, in a non-limiting embodiment, the graphene reinforced concrete demonstrates about 15 % to about 50 % enhancement in the split tensile strength as compared to conventional concrete.
In various applications, the physical properties of concrete have conventionally been enhanced by using macro-scale reinforcement such as steel reinforcing rods. However, when this reinforcement gets corroded, it leads to the formation of rust which causes loss

of bond in between the steel and the concrete and subsequent delamination and spalling. Chloride ingress and moisture permeability of the concrete are the two major reason for steel rebar corrosion.
In view of such issues pertaining to durability, the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure is prepared such that it inhibits chloride ingress by about 10% to about 80 %.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete is substantially impermeable to water.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete demonstrates about 200% to about 800% reduced permeability to water than conventional concrete. This allows for steel reinforcement ensuring reduced steel rebar corrosion and consequent enhancement in the durability and lifespan of the concrete.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete demonstrates about 24% to about 73% improvement in fracture toughness as compared to conventional concrete, therefore providing enhanced resistance to the crack propagation.
Numerous concrete structures are employed in various environments, for example harsh low-temperature circumstances. Concrete structures are known to have poor freeze thaw durability. The extent of damage caused by repeated cycles of freeze-thaw can lead to defects starting from surface spalling to complete disintegration as layers of ice are formed, starting from the bare surface of the concrete and extending inwards underneath the surface.
Taking cognizance of the above, the present disclosure provides a graphene reinforced concrete that exhibits enhanced freeze-thraw resistance as compared to conventional concrete.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete exhibits reduced compressive strength loss after freeze thraw cycle as compared to the conventional concrete.

Taken together, the present disclosure provides a graphene reinforced concrete that is strong, crack resistant, durable, thermally stable and more environment friendly than conventional concrete.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete characterized by the incorporation of 1-5 layered graphene and/or its derivative(s) has at least 5% higher compressive strength as compared to re-inforced concrete comprising graphene composed of more number of layers.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete characterized by the incorporation of 1-5 layered graphene and/or its derivative(s) has at least 10% higher compressive strength as compared to re-inforced concrete comprising graphene composed of more number of layers.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete characterized by the incorporation of 1-5 layered graphene and/or its derivative(s) has at least 5% higher flexural strength as compared to comprising graphene composed of more number of layers.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete characterized by the incorporation of 1-5 layered graphene and/or its derivative(s) has at least 10% higher flexural strength as compared to comprising graphene composed of more number of layers.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete characterized by the incorporation of incorporation of 1-5 layered graphene and/or its derivative(s) has at least 70% lesser water permeability as compared to comprising graphene composed of more number of layers.
Based on the above, it can be seen that the restriction on the number of layers of graphene is indeed associated with specific merit.

The present disclosure further provides a method of preparing the graphene reinforced concrete as described above, the method comprising mixing the cement, and the graphene and/or its derivative(s) with a liquid medium, optionally along with one or more of the sand, the concrete aggregate(s) the concrete admixture and the reinforcement fibre(s) to obtain the graphene reinforced concrete.
In some embodiments, the liquid medium is water. In some embodiments, the water is selected from tap water, recycled water, distilled water, double distilled water, milliQ water, and deionized water or any combination thereof.
In some embodiments, the aforesaid method is not restricted by the order of mixing of components. In some embodiments, the components are contacted with each other sequentially and mixed to form the reagent, with no restriction on the order of contacting the respective components. In some embodiments, all components are contacted simultaneously and mixed to obtain the graphene reinforced concrete.
In exemplary embodiments, the graphene employed in the above method is in the form of a homogeneous and stable dispersion in a liquid medium. In some embodiments, the graphene dispersion comprises the graphene or derivatives of graphene dispersed in any liquid medium selected from a group comprising water, organic solvent(s) and inorganic solvent(s) or any combination thereof.
In a non-limiting embodiment, the dispersion of graphene and/or its derivative(s) optionally comprises one or more dispersing agent(s).
In some embodiments, the dispersing agent(s) is selected from a group comprising Poly vinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS), sodium hexameta phosphate (SHP), sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) or any combination thereof.
Accordingly, in some embodiments, the method of preparing the graphene reinforced
concrete comprises
preparing a graphene dispersion; and
mixing the graphene dispersion with the cement, optionally along with one or more of
the sand, the concrete aggregate(s), the concrete admixture and the reinforcement fibre(s)
to obtain the graphene reinforced concrete.

In some embodiments, the steps in the above method may be performed in any order.
In some embodiments, the graphene dispersion is prepared by dispersing graphene and/or its derivatives in a liquid medium to obtain a suspension, and subjecting said suspension to mixing, to obtain the graphene dispersion. In some embodiments, the mixing is performed in a high shear mixer.
In some embodiments, the graphene dispersion is prepared by dispersing graphene and/or its derivatives in a liquid medium optionally along with one or more dispersing agent(s) to obtain a suspension, and subjecting said suspension to mixing, to obtain the graphene dispersion. In some embodiments, the mixing is performed in a high shear mixer.
In some embodiments, the graphene dispersion is prepared by dispersing graphene and/or its derivatives in a liquid medium optionally along with one or more dispersing agent(s) to obtain a suspension and subjecting said suspension to mixing in a high shear mixer, to obtain the graphene dispersion.
In some embodiments, the graphene dispersion comprises about 0.05% to about 5% graphene or its derivatives.
In some embodiments, the graphene dispersion comprises about 0.1% to about 5% of the dispersing agent(s).
In some embodiments, the ratio between the cement, the sand, the concrete aggregate(s), the concrete admixture, the graphene dispersion and the reinforcement fibre ranges from about 1:1:1.5:0.001:0.0001:0 to about 1:5:10:0.05:0.25:0.5.
In some embodiments of the above-described method, mixing of the graphene dispersion with the cement comprises one or more of agitating, crushing, grinding and pulverizing, or any combination thereof.
In some embodiments, the mixing is performed at a temperature of about10°C to about 40°C, depending on the batch size.

In some embodiments, the mixing is performed for a time period of about 5 minutes to about 25 minutes, depending on the batch size.
In some embodiments, the aforesaid method further comprises curing the obtained graphene reinforced concrete.
Accordingly, in some embodiments, the method of preparing the graphene reinforced
concrete comprises
mixing the cement, and the graphene and/or its derivative(s) with a liquid medium,
optionally along with one or more of the sand, the concrete aggregate(s), the concrete
admixture and the reinforcement fibre(s) to obtain a mixture; and
curing the mixture to obtain the graphene reinforced concrete.
In some embodiments, the method of preparing the graphene reinforced concrete
comprises
preparing a graphene dispersion; and
mixing the graphene dispersion with the cement, optionally along with one or more of
the sand, the concrete aggregate(s), the concrete admixture and the reinforcement fibre(s)
to obtain a mixture; and
curing the mixture to obtain the graphene reinforced concrete.
In some embodiments, the method of preparing the graphene reinforced concrete
comprises
dispersing and blending the graphene and/or its derivatives in a liquid medium to obtain
a graphene dispersion;
mixing the graphene dispersion with the cement, optionally along with one or more of
the sand, the concrete aggregate(s), the concrete admixture and the reinforcement fibre(s)
to obtain a mixture; and
curing the mixture to obtain the graphene reinforced concrete.
In some embodiments, the method of preparing the graphene reinforced concrete comprises

dispersing and blending the graphene and/or its derivatives in water optionally along with
one or more dispersing agent(s) to obtain a graphene dispersion;
mixing the graphene dispersion with the cement, optionally along with one or more of
the sand, the concrete aggregate(s), the concrete admixture and the reinforcement fibre(s)
to obtain a mixture; and
curing the mixture to obtain the graphene reinforced concrete.
In some embodiments, the blending is performed by methods such as but not limited to high shear mixing. In some embodiments, the blending is performed at room temperature for about 1 hour to about 3 hours.
In some embodiments, the curing is performed at a temperature of about 10°C to about 50°C, the curing is performed depending on the batch size.
In some embodiments, the mixing of the graphene dispersion with the cement, optionally along with one or more of the sand, the concrete aggregate(s), the concrete admixture and the reinforcement fibre(s) is performed by agitating, crushing, grinding and pulverizing, or any combination thereof.
In some embodiments, the mixing of the graphene dispersion with the cement, optionally along with one or more of the sand, the concrete aggregate(s), the concrete admixture and the reinforcement fibre(s) is performed for a time period of about 5 minutes to about 25 minutes, depending on the batch size.
In embodiments of the above-described method, the concentrations or wt% of the components of the graphene reinforced concrete are based on the embodiments of the product (graphene reinforced concrete) as described above. For the sake of brevity and to avoid repetition, each of those embodiments are not being reiterated in the context of the method. However, each of the said embodiments, completely fall within the purview of the method of preparing the graphene reinforced concrete.
Further envisaged herein is graphene reinforced concrete produced by the above defined method.

Accordingly, in some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a graphene reinforced concrete produced by a method comprising mixing cement, and graphene and/or its derivative(s) with a liquid medium, optionally along with one or more of sand, concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture and reinforcement fibre(s) to obtain the graphene reinforced concrete.
In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a graphene reinforced concrete
produced by a method comprising
preparing a graphene dispersion; and
mixing the graphene dispersion with cement, optionally along with one or more of sand,
concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture and reinforcement fibre(s) to obtain the
graphene reinforced concrete.
In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a graphene reinforced concrete
produced by a method comprising
dispersing and blending graphene and/or its derivatives in a liquid medium to obtain a
graphene dispersion;
mixing the graphene dispersion with the cement, optionally along with one or more of
the sand, the concrete aggregate(s), the concrete admixture and the reinforcement fibre(s)
to obtain a mixture; and
curing the mixture to obtain the graphene reinforced concrete.
In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a graphene reinforced concrete
produced by a method comprising
dispersing and blending graphene and/or its derivatives in a liquid medium optionally
along with one or more dispersing agent(s) to obtain a graphene dispersion;
mixing the graphene dispersion with the cement, optionally along with one or more of
the sand, the concrete aggregate(s), the concrete admixture and the reinforcement fibre(s)
to obtain a mixture; and
curing the mixture to obtain the graphene reinforced concrete.
Each of the embodiments defined for the method of the present disclosure for preparing the graphene reinforced concrete disclosed in the initial embodiments are equally

applicable to the product by process embodiments as defined above and are not repeated for reasons of brevity.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete as described above, particularly produced by the method of the present disclosure has at least 15% higher compressive strength than graphene reinforced concrete prepared by a method employing a solid form of graphene for the said preparation.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete as described above, particularly produced by the method of the present disclosure has at least 10% higher flexural strength than graphene reinforced concrete prepared by a method employing a solid form of graphene for the said preparation.
In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced concrete as described above, particularly produced by the method of the present disclosure has at least 50% lesser water permeability than graphene reinforced concrete prepared by a method employing a solid form of graphene for the said preparation.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the solid form of graphene includes but is not limited to graphene powder, graphene pellets and so on.
Accordingly, inconsistencies in functional performance are observed upon basing reliance on a solid form of graphene as opposed to the graphene dispersion as per the method of the present disclosure.
Also provided herein is the use of the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure in construction.
Reference to construction in the above embodiment includes but is not limited to construction of road, buildings and dams.
Due to the increase in the tensile strength and flexural strength of the graphene reinforced concrete, the requirement for concrete in the above applications reduces significantly.

While the instant disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific aspects thereof have been shown by way of examples and drawings and are described in detail below. However, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
EXAMPLES
The present disclosure is further described with reference to the following examples, which are only illustrative in nature and should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any manner.
Example 1: Preparing the graphene reinforced concrete
A graphene dispersion was first prepared by mixing about 20 kg graphene in about 976 Kg water along with about 4 kg PVP for about 1 hour to about 3 hours.
About 222Kg water was mixed with about 554Kg cement, about 616Kg sand, about 462 Kg fine concrete aggregate(s), about 693Kg coarse concrete aggregate(s), about 1.4 kg concrete admixture and about 12.5Kg of the graphene dispersion as obtained above by sequential contacting of the components followed by mixing by agitation. The mixing was conducted at room temperature.
The obtained composition was subjected to curing for about 28 Days to obtain the graphene reinforced concrete.
Example 2: Functional analysis of the graphene reinforced concrete
Following the above methodology, varying the concentration of graphene (0.0015%, 0.0023% and 0.0040%) in the composition, 3 different batches of concrete were prepared. The impact of concentration of graphene on compressive strength of the graphene reinforced concrete was measured and compared with a control sample lacking graphene.

Compressive strength was measured as per IS516 standards, flexural strength was measured as per IS516, 4 point standards, water permeability was measured as per DIN1048 part 5 standards.
Table 1:

Batch
(prepared in water) Cement
(Kg) Sand
(Kg) Fine concrete aggregate(s)
(10mm) (Kg) Coarse concrete aggregate (20mm)
(Kg) Concrete admixture
(Kg) Graphene (ppm) % increase in
compressive strength vs. control
GRC 1 3.8 10.3 3 6.7 0.06 15 11%
GRC 2 3.8 10.3 3 6.7 0.06 23 35%
GRC 3 3.8 10.32 3.02 6.72 0.06 40 45%
As can be observed from the above, the compressive strength of the graphene reinforced concrete gradually increases with the increase in concentration of graphene.
Example 3: Effect of the number of layers constituting the graphene Two batches of the graphene reinforced concrete were prepared as per the method followed in Example 1, varying with respect to the number of layers in the graphene employed. One batch was prepared using graphene having 1-5 layers. Another batch was prepared using graphene having about 6-20 layers of graphene.
A comparison with respect to functional performance of the above-mentioned concrete compositions was performed to analyse the impact of the number of layers in graphene on the properties of compressive strength, flexural strength and water permeability to understand the impact of the number of layers of graphene on the final composition.
Table 2:

No. of layers of graphene in the
graphene
employed in the
GRC Graphene
wt% Graphene (ppm) Compressive
strength
(MPa) Flexural
strength
(MPa) Water
Permeability
(mm)
1-5 0 29.03 4.23 37

1-5 0.01% 100 42.7 5.52 0-2
% increase vis-à- vis control 47% 30% 3700%- 740%
(% increase in
impermeability)

1-5 0.005% 50 34.94 4.86 0-5
% increase vis-à- vis control 20.4% 15% 3700%- 740%
(% increase in
impermeability)

6-20 0 29.03 4.23 37
6-20 0.01% 100 40.2 5.16 30
% increase vis-à- vis control 38.5% 22% 123.33%
(% increase in
impermeability)

0.005% 50 34.94 4.77 30
% increase vis-à- vis control 20.4% 13% 123.33%
(% increase in
impermeability)

As can be observed from the above table, restricting the graphene employed in the graphene reinforced concrete to 1-5 layers led to a significant improvement at least in flexural strength and a significant reduction in water permeability, providing a GRC that was substantially impermeable to water.
Example 4: Effect of form in which the graphene is employed
Two batches of the graphene reinforced concrete were prepared as per the method followed in Example 1, varying with respect to the form in which in the graphene employed. One batch was prepared using 1-5 layer graphene in dispersion form as per the present disclosure. Another batch was prepared using the same type and concentration of graphene in the form of a powder.
The results of comparison of the parameters of compressive strength, flexural strength and water permeability analysis between the two reinforced concrete compositions is provided below.

5 Table 3:

Graphene Dispersion ( 1-5 Layers) Graphene powder (1-5 Layers)
Graphene
(wt%) Graphene (ppm) Compressive
strength
(MPa) Flexural
strength
(MPa) Water
Permeability
(mm) Compressive
strength
(MPa) Flexural
strength
(MPa) Water
Permea
bility
0 29.03 4.23 37 29.03 4.23 37
0.01 100 42.7 5.52 0-5 30.56 4.07 33
% increase vis-à-vis control
► 47% 30.8% 3700%-
740%
(% increase
in impermeabili
ty) 5.3 % -3.6% 112.1%
(% increase
in
imperme
ability)

0.005 50 34.94 4.86 0-5 29.4 4.1 40
% increase vis-à vis control 20.4% 15% 3700%-740% (% increase
in
impermeabili
ty) 1.6% -2.3% No
improve
ment in
imperme
abiltiy:
poorer
than control

Based on the above analysis, it was observed that basing reliance on graphene in the form of a dispersion yielded graphene reinforced concrete having significantly higher compressive strength, flexural strength and lesser water permeability as compared to graphene reinforced concrete prepared using graphene powder. The GRC obtained using the graphene dispersion, in fact, was substantially water impermeable. Accordingly, it was concluded that the form in which the graphene is employed to prepare the graphene reinforced concrete has a significant impact on the functional properties of the final graphene reinforced concrete.
Example 5: Observations after fast curing of the graphene containing composition – impact of the number of layers in graphene
Two batches of the graphene reinforced concrete were prepared as per the method followed in Example 1, varying with respect to the number of layers in the graphene employed. One batch was prepared using graphene having 1-5 layers. Another batch was

prepared using graphene having about 6-20 layers of graphene. Both batches were subjected to quick curing at a temperature of about 10°C to about 50°C for about 7 days.
A comparison with respect to functional performance of the above-mentioned concrete compositions was performed to analyse the impact of the number of layers in graphene, post quick curing, on the properties of compressive strength, fracture strength and flexural strength to understand the impact of the number of layers of graphene on the final composition.
Table 4:

Test 7 days curing results

Control 6-20 layer graphene 1-5 layer graphene

Value
observed
(MPa) Value
observed
(MPa) % Change vis-à-vis control Value
observed
(MPa) % Change vis-à-vis control
Flexural strength 4.57 4.96 8.53% 5.57 21 %
Fracture Strength 2.78 3.58 28.78% 3.77 36%
Compressive Strength 20.76 25.14 -2.99% 23.3 15.59%
In line with the observations in the previous examples, it was seen that graphene reinforced concrete having significantly higher flexural strength, fracture toughness/strength and compressive strength was obtained when graphene having 1-5 layers was employed for preparing the graphene reinforced concrete. The above is also depictive of high curing rate of the graphene reinforced concrete of the present disclosure.
Additional embodiments and features of the present disclosure will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in art based on the description provided herein. The embodiments herein provide various features and advantageous details thereof in the description. Descriptions of well-known/conventional methods and techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments fully reveals the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify

and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments in this disclosure have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. Various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity. The use of the expression ‘at least’ or ‘at least one’ suggests the use of one or more elements oringredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results. Numerical ranges stated in the form ‘from x to y’ include the values mentioned and those values that lie within the range of the respective measurement accuracy as known to the skilled person. If several preferred numerical ranges are stated in this form, of course, all the ranges formed by a combination of the different end points are also included.
The terms “about” or “approximately” as used in the present disclosure when referring to a measurable value such as a parameter, an amount, a temporal duration, and the like, are meant to encompass variations of and from the specified value, such as variations of +/-10% or less, +/-5% or less, +/-1% or less, and +/-0.1% or less of and from the specified value, insofar such variations are appropriate to perform in the disclosed invention. It is to be understood that the value to which the modifier “about” or “approximately” refers is itself also specifically, and preferably, disclosed.
As used in the present disclosure, the terms “include” (any form of “include”, such as “include”), “have” (and “have”), “comprise” etc. any form of “having”, “including” (and any form of “including” such as “including”), “containing”, “comprising” or “comprises” are inclusive and will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or

step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps
It is to be noted that the term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more”, and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein.
As regards the embodiments characterized in this specification, it is intended that each embodiment be read independently as well as in combination with another embodiment. For example, in case of an embodiment 1 reciting 3 alternatives A, B and C, an embodiment 2 reciting 3 alternatives D, E and F and an embodiment 3 reciting 3 alternatives G, H and I, it is to be understood that the specification unambiguously discloses embodiments corresponding to combinations A, D, G; A, D, H; A, D, I; A, E, G; A, E, H; A, E, I; A, F, G; A, F, H; A, F, I; B, D, G; B, D, H; B, D, I; B, E, G; B, E, H; B, E, I; B, F, G; B, F, H; B, F, I; C, D, G; C, D, H; C, D, I; C, E, G; C, E, H; C, E, I; C, F, G; C, F, H; C, F, I, unless specifically mentioned otherwise.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles and the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the particular features of this disclosure, it will be appreciated that various modifications can be made, and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other modifications in the nature of the disclosure or the preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.

We claim:
1. A graphene reinforced concrete comprising cement, graphene and/or its derivative(s) and one or more of sand, concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture(s) and reinforcement fibre(s); wherein the graphene reinforced concrete comprises the graphene and/or its derivative(s) at a concentration of about 0.001 wt% to about 2 wt%; and wherein the graphene or its derivatives comprises about 1 to about 5 layers of graphene.
2. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 1, comprising about 0.005 wt% to about 0.1 wt% of the graphene or its derivatives.
3. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 1, wherein the graphene and/or its derivative(s) is in a form selected from a group comprising graphene platelets, graphene nanoplatelets, graphene oxides, reduced graphene oxides, functionalized graphene, doped graphene, graphene decorated with metal particles, nanosized graphene, graphene quantum dots and any graphene containing material, or any combination thereof.
4. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cement is selected from a group comprising ordinary portland cement (OPC), portland pozzolana cement (PPC), rapid hardening cement, quick setting cement, low heat cement, sulfates resisting cement, blast furnace slag cement, high alumina cement, white cement colored cement, air entraining cement, expansive cement and hydrographic cement or any combination thereof.
5. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sand is selected from river sand, concrete sand, fill sand, coarse sand, utility sand, pit sand, fine sand and M-Sand or any combination thereof.
6. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 1, wherein the concrete aggregate(s) has particle size ranging from about 4mm to about 40mm.
7. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 1, wherein the concrete aggregate(s) comprises granular material(s) selected from a group comprising sand, gravel and crushed stone or any combination thereof.
8. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 1, wherein the concrete admixture is selected from a group comprising water reducer, superplasticizer, retarder, accelerator, shrinkage preventer, segregation reducer, and heat evolution reducer or any combination thereof.

9. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 1, comprising the concrete admixture at a concentration of about 0.1 wt% to about 2 wt%.
10. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reinforcement fibre(s) is selected from a group comprising short cut polyester fibre, polypropylene fibre and polyethylene fibre or any combination thereof.
11. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 1, comprising the reinforcement fibre(s) at a concentration of about 0.1 wt% to about 1 wt%.
12. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 1, further comprising moisture; wherein the graphene reinforced concrete comprises the moisture at a concentration ranging from about 5 wt% to about 20 wt%.
13. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 1, having about 11% to about 146% higher compressive strength than conventional concrete; about 15% to about 90% higher flexural strength than conventional concrete and about 24% to about 73% higher fracture toughness than conventional.
14. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 1, wherein the graphene reinforced concrete is substantially impermeable to water.
15. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 1, having at least 5% higher compressive strength as compared to concrete comprising graphene having 6 or more layers; at least 5% higher flexural strength as compared to concrete comprising graphene having 6 or more layers; and/or at least 70% lesser water permeability as compared to as compared to concrete comprising graphene having 6 or more layers.
16. A method of preparing the graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 1, comprising
preparing a graphene dispersion; and
mixing the graphene dispersion with the cement, optionally along with one or more of
the sand, the concrete aggregate(s), the concrete admixture and the reinforcement fibre(s)
to obtain a mixture; and
curing the mixture to obtain the graphene reinforced concrete.
17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the graphene dispersion is prepared
by dispersing and blending the graphene and/or its derivatives in a liquid medium
optionally along with one or more dispersing agent(s) to obtain the graphene dispersion;
wherein the liquid medium is water; and wherein the water is selected from tap water,

recycled water, distilled water, double distilled water, milliQ water, and deionized water or any combination thereof.
18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the dispersing agent(s) is selected from a group comprising Poly vinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS), sodium hexameta phosphate (SHP), sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) any combination thereof.
19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the graphene dispersion comprises about 0.05% to about 5% of the graphene and/or its derivatives; about 0.1% to about 5% of the of the dispersing agent(s).
20. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the mixing is performed by method(s) selected from a group comprising agitating, crushing, grinding and pulverizing, or any combination thereof; wherein the mixing is performed for about 5 minutes to about 25 minutes; and/or wherein the mixing is performed at room temperature.
21. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the curing is performed at a temperature of about 10°C to about 50°C; and/or wherein the curing is performed for about 7 hours to about 56 hours.
22. A graphene reinforced concrete produced by a method comprising: preparing a graphene dispersion; and
mixing the graphene dispersion with cement, optionally along with one or more of sand,
concrete aggregate(s), concrete admixture and reinforcement fibre(s) to obtain a mixture;
and
curing the mixture to obtain the graphene reinforced concrete.
23. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 22, wherein the graphene dispersion is prepared by dispersing and blending the graphene and/or its derivatives in a liquid medium optionally along with one or more dispersing agent(s); wherein the liquid medium is water; and/or wherein the graphene dispersion comprises about 0.05% to about 5% of the graphene and/or its derivatives; about 0.1% to about 5% of the of the dispersing agent(s).
24. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the mixing is performed by agitating, crushing, grinding and pulverizing, or any combination thereof; wherein the mixing is performed for about 5 minutes to about 25 minutes; and/or wherein the mixing is performed at room temperature; wherein the curing is performed at a temperature of about

10°C to about 50°C; and/or wherein the curing is performed for about 7 hours to about 56 hours.
25. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 22, wherein the graphene reinforced concrete has at least 15% higher compressive strength than graphene reinforced concrete prepared from a solid form of graphene.
26. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 22, wherein the graphene reinforced concrete has at least 10% higher flexural strength than graphene reinforced concrete prepared from a solid form of graphene.
27. The graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 22, wherein the graphene reinforced has at least 50% lesser water permeability than graphene reinforced concrete prepared from a solid form of graphene.
28. Use of the graphene reinforced concrete as claimed in claim 1 or claim 22 in construction.