0000000000461576
AUTHOR
Lina Bouzouaid
Impact of gluconate and hexitol additives on the precipitation mechanism and kinetics of C-S-H
The present paper investigates the influence of gluconate and hexitol additives on the precipitation mechanism and kinetics of C-S-H. To this end, wet chemistry C-S-H precipitation experiments were performed under controlled conditions of solution supersaturation, under varying silicate concentration, while the transmittance of the solution was followed. This allowed determining induction times for the formation of C-S-H precursors in the presence and absence of gluconate and three hexitol molecules. Characterization of the precipitates was performed via small angle X-ray scattering and cryo-transmission electron microscopy experiments, which allowed the identification of a multi-step nucle…
Impact of small organic molecules on the nucleation of calcium silicate hydrate
Superplasticizers are nowadays commonly employed in concrete to improve its workability and mechanical performance. They generally have the side effect of retarding the hydration of Portland cement which results from two simultaneous reactions: the dissolution of cement grains and the precipitation of cement hydrates. The mechanisms responsible for this retardation and thus delay the setting time of cement remain however largely unexplained. The present work intended to tackle this puzzle from the perspective of cement hydrate formation and employing four small organic molecules as model for superplasticizers. In particular, the impact of these organics on the homogeneous nucleation of calc…
Gluconate and hexitols effects on C-S-H solubility
This study investigates the effect of gluconate, a carboxylate ion, and three uncharged hexitols, D-sorbitol, D-mannitol and D-galactitol on the solubility of C-S-H. Thermodynamic modeling was used to determine the kind and amount of Ca-organic-silicate-OH complexes that potentially form in the conditions studied. All the organics form complexes with calcium and hydroxide, In addition, heteropolynuclear organics complexes with calcium, hydroxide and silicate are observed at high pH values and high calcium concentrations with the exception of mannitol. The strength of complexation with silicate decreases from gluconate > sorbitol > galactitol. The adsorption of the selected organics on…