The first seconds in a building's life: X-ray diffraction studies of cement hydration on the millisecond scale
Monday, April 23, 2012 - 07:31
in Physics & Chemistry
(Phys.org) -- No matter if it is a giant complex, a high-rise, or an underground project, modern architecture cannot get along without concrete. The component in concrete that holds the other components together is cement. In order to control the properties of concrete, it is important to know what occurs as it hardens. German scientists have now successfully watched the first few seconds in the life of cement by means of X-ray diffraction. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, they explain the role of the superplasticizers added to concrete.