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Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Quantification of Hydrogen Concentrations in Surface and Interface Layers and Bulk Materials through Depth Profiling with Nuclear Reaction Analysis
Published on: March 29, 2016
Heavy ion beam measurement of the hydration of cementitious materials
R A Livingston1, J S Schweitzer, C Rolfs
1Materials Science & Engineering Department, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Rliving1@umd.edu
Abstract:
The setting and development of strength of Portland cement concrete depends upon the reaction of water with various phases in the Portland cement. Nuclear resonance reaction analysis (NRRA) involving the (1)H((15)N,alpha,gamma)(12)C reaction has been applied to measure the hydrogen depth profile in the few 100 nm thick surface layer that controls the early stage of the reaction. Specific topics that have been investigated include the reactivity of individual cementitious phases and the effects of accelerators and retarders.
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