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Fineness of Cement

Fineness of Cement

The fineness of cement directly influences the rate of hydration, as the hydration begins at the surface of the cement particles. In addition to hydration, the fineness of cement is vital for various properties of concrete including workability, gypsum requirement, and long-term behavior. The fineness of cement is represented in terms of the specific surface of cement which is typically measured in square meters per kilogram, with several methods available for this determination.
Direct...

Hydration of Cement

Hydration of Cement

Hydration of cement is a chemical reaction between cement particles and water. This process occurs primarily through two mechanisms: through-solution and topochemical. In the through-solution process, anhydrous compounds dissolve into their constituents, hydrates form in the solution, and then precipitate from the supersaturated solution. The topochemical process involves solid-state reactions at the cement particle surface. The through-solution process dominates the topochemical process at the...

Porosity in Cement Paste

Porosity in Cement Paste

The porosity of concrete is a measure of the void spaces within its structure. These spaces impact its strength and durability significantly. When water and cement interact, a chemical reaction called hydration creates a semi-solid paste. This paste includes combined water, making up approximately 23% of the cement's dry mass, and gel water, which fills minuscule voids known as gel pores, accounting for about 28% of the cement gel volume.
The balance of water to cement in the mix is critical—it...

Strength and Heat of Hydration

Strength and Heat of Hydration

The hydration of cement is an exothermic reaction in which heat is generated as cement hydrates. This heat of hydration is critical to cement's strength development. The rate at which this heat is generated affects the temperature rise, with a majority of the heat being released early in the hydration process, half within the first three days, and about 75% within the first week.
The heat of hydration for each cement compound is significant; for instance, tricalcium aluminate (C3A) and...

Pore Size Distribution

Pore Size Distribution

In concrete, the pore size distribution significantly influences the material's properties. Capillary pores, markedly larger than gel pores, form a vast network within partially hydrated cement paste, reducing the concrete's strength and increasing its permeability. This heightened permeability leads to a greater risk of damage from environmental factors like freeze-thaw cycles and chemical attacks, with the extent of vulnerability also being tied to the water-to-cement ratio.
Adequate...

Porosity and Absorption of Aggregate

Porosity and Absorption of Aggregate

Aggregates contain pores of varying sizes; while some are completely enclosed within the particles, others open onto the surface, allowing water to penetrate. The porosity of aggregates is a major factor contributing to the overall porosity of concrete, given that aggregates constitute about three-quarters of concrete's volume.
When all pores in an aggregate are filled with water, the aggregate is considered saturated and surface-dry. If left in dry air, water will evaporate until the aggregate...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

Determination of Aggregate Surface Morphology at the Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ)

Determination of Aggregate Surface Morphology at the Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ)

Published on: December 16, 2019

Spatial Gradient Analysis of Single-Particle Hydration and Inter-Particle Interactions in Cement-Fly Ash-Slag System

Lixuan Mao¹, Zheyuan Cao¹, Lihui Li²

¹School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024, China.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)

|May 27, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers used machine learning to analyze cement-fly ash-slag systems, identifying a calcium-starvation zone at slag-fly ash interfaces as a microstructural weak link for sustainable material design.

Keywords:

BSE-EDS image analysis calcium migration machine learning spatial element features ternary cementitious systems

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Expression of Cementitious Pore Solution and the Analysis of Its Chemical Composition and Resistivity Using X-ray Fluorescence

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Expression of Cementitious Pore Solution and the Analysis of Its Chemical Composition and Resistivity Using X-ray Fluorescence

Expression of Cementitious Pore Solution and the Analysis of Its Chemical Composition and Resistivity Using X-ray Fluorescence

Published on: September 23, 2018

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Geochemistry
Nanotechnology

Background:

Optimizing low-carbon cementitious systems requires understanding early-age interactions.
Quantifying sub-micron scale chemical and spatial interactions in complex systems is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantify phase assemblage and spatial element features in cement-fly ash-slag ternary systems.
To investigate ionic diffusion gradients and identify microstructural weak links.

Main Methods:

Machine learning-assisted Backscattered Electron-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (BSE-EDS) analysis.
Equidistant strip delineation for single-particle and inter-particle path analysis.
Quantification of ionic diffusion gradients and hydration fronts.

Main Results:

Identified a persistent calcium-starvation zone at slag-fly ash interfaces.
This zone exhibits high Si/Ca ratios, lower atomic number, and reduced density due to diffusion limitations.
The slag-fly ash interface is the primary microstructural weak link.

Conclusions:

The study provides a robust methodology for capturing chemical heterogeneities in cementitious systems.
Findings aid in optimizing the design of sustainable cementitious materials.
Highlights the importance of addressing interfacial chemistry for material performance.