Surface energies of hardened cement paste depending on relative humidity

Title: Surface energies of hardened cement paste depending on relative humidity
Author(s): J. Adolphs
Paper category : journal
Serial title: Materials and Structures
Abreviated Serial title: Mater. Struct.
ISSN: 1359-5997
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Volume: 38
Issue: 278
Issue date: 2005-05-01
Publication year: 2005
Pages: 443 - 448
Total Pages: 6
Nb references: 18
Language: English

Abstract: In the lower region of relative humidity, one assumption of the Munich Model regarding the volumetric changes in hardened cement paste (hcp) is that adsorbed water molecules decrease surface energy.
Recent work with inverse gas chromatography (IGC) on hcp provides the first experimental evidence to support this assumption.
Under conditions of varying relative humidity, the equipment used (iGC SMS POROTEC) allowed a series of pulse experiments with non-polar (alkenes) and polar probe molecules at temperatures in the region of 30 ºC.
From the retention times, specific interaction energies and a dispersive surface energy of the solid can be derived.
The results are in agreement with the findings of many other experiments conducted under different relative humidities.
Furthermore they may help to understand strongly nonlinear moisture related phenomena like shrinkage, swelling, change of the pore size, strength, and diffusion in hardened cement paste.

Online publication: 2005-02-15
Classification: Scientific Reports
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00
doi: 10.1617/14354