Quantitative analysis of pore characteristics of nanocellulose reinforced cementitious tailings fills using 3D reconstruction of CT images

Abstract

This study aims at analyzing the influence of contents and types of various nanocelluloses (e.g., CNF, CNC, and MFC) and intermediate microstructure on strength/fracture features of cementitious tailings backfill (CTB). This is important in understanding the environmental implications of tailings and crushed rock accumulation. Researchers explored the strength behavior of nanocellulose-reinforced CTB (NRCTB) while analyzing quantitatively their spatial structure/fractures through SEM and CT (computed tomography) methods. Results highlight that optimizing the content of nanocelluloses can boost the pore structure of NRCTB. CTB reinforced with CNF and CNC exhibit specific pore structures, while MFC-CTBs shows a different pattern. The addition of nanocellulose helps in suppressing cracking. The overall porosity of the different CTB samples varied. The study also proposes a dual nanocellulose-pore network model to explain the microscopic enhancement mechanism. The findings subsidize the understanding of NRCTB's microscopic enhancement mechanisms and can have implications for mitigating environmental damage caused by tailings-crushed rock accumulation.