Quantitative evaluation of spatial microstructure in cement pastes by second-order stereology

Authors: S. Igarashi, Y. Yoneyama
Paper category: conference
Book title: Concrete Durability and Service Life Planning – ConcreteLife’09
Editor(s): K. Kovler
Print ISBN: 978-2-35158-074-5
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-085-1
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2009
Pages: 482 – 489
Total Pages: 8
Language: English

Abstract: Second-order stereology functions were used to quantitatively evaluate geometrical features of microstructure in hardened cement pastes with various water/cement ratios. The functions sensitively reflected changes in the microstructure with time. It was possible to understand the characteristics of microstructure intuitively in a sense of length. Continuity of large capillary pores was well characterized by the lineal-path function. Cross correlation function between cement and pores implies the presence of dense layer of hydration products around the unhydrated cement cores. Only the first order parameters such as area fractions of phases have been used in the SEM-BSE image analysis for cement microstructure. However, it is found that the second-order functions also give useful information on the evolution of microstructure in cement pastes. Combination of first- and second-order stereology parameters could be a more sophisticated evaluation method in the SEM-BSE image analysis.

Online publication: 2012-05-16
Publication Type: full_text
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