Utilization of nano-metakaolin in concrete: A review

Abstract Nano materials have been widely used to improve the properties of cementitious materials. Nano-metakaolin (NMK) is currently developed and applied in the concrete, and there are a mass of literatures on the properties of concrete with NMK until now. However, a systematic review of the utilization of NMK in concrete is lacked, which is necessary to better understand its mechanism. Thus this paper aims to show a review on the utilization of NMK in concrete. The properties of NMK and the hydration, workability, mechanical properties and durability of concrete containing NMK are reviewed, respectively. A comparison between the results of various literatures is presented, and some important suggestions are also given. The results show that the addition of NMK improves some properties of concrete especially mechanical properties at early ages, which is helpful to the further studies on the properties of concrete with NMK.