PSI researches for low-CO2 cement
A research team involving the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and the University of Grenoble Alpes is on the trail of a disadvantage of low-carbon cements: the slow hydration kinetics in the first three days. The aim is to achieve a faster strength of green cements.
A research team wants to bring previously unknown processes in the hydration of cement to light. Through a deeper understanding, it wants to pave the way for low-carbon cements. Under the leadership of the University of Malaga, the French University Grenobles Alpes, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility(ESRF), also located in Grenoble, and the Paul Scherrer Institute are involved in the study.
According to a PSI statement, the biggest disadvantage of the current proposals for low-carbon cements is the slow hydration kinetics in the first three days. However, it is precisely the understanding of the processes involved in cement production in the early stages that is “crucial”, explains study first author and PhD student at the University of Malaga, Shiva Shirani. “That’s why we developed a method to get a complete picture of the hydration of Portland cement.”
To do this, the scientists combined complementary experimental approaches at the ESRF and the Swiss Synchrotron Light Source at PSI. Near-field ptychotomography revealed the hydration of commercial Portland cement, according to the release.
“Understanding the mechanics of the slowest processes will hopefully lead to strategies to reasonably accelerate the hydration of low-carbon cements,” said co-author Professor Miguel A.G. Aranda. This could be done, for example, by using strength-increasing admixtures “to allow early removal of the formwork”.