Mesoscale texture of cement hydrates
Abstract
Calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) nanoscale gels are the main binding agent in cement and concrete, crucial for the strength and the long-term evolution of the material. Even more than the molecular structure, the C-S-H mesoscale amorphous texture over hundreds of nanometers plays a crucial role for material properties. We use a statistical physics framework for aggregating nanoparticles and numerical simulations to obtain a first, to our knowledge, quantitative model for such a complex material. The extensive comparison with experiments ranging from small-angle neutron scattering, SEM, adsorption/desorption of N2, and water to nanoindentation provides new fundamental insights into the microscopic origin of the properties measured.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- February 2016
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.1520487113
- Bibcode:
- 2016PNAS..113.2029I