Page 88 - Handbook of Thermal Analysis of Construction Materials

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3

Formation and

Hydration of Cement

and Cement Compounds

1.0 INTRODUCTION

An understanding of the complex physico-chemical phenomena
associated with the formation and behavior of cementitious compounds is
facilitated through the application of many different types of investigative
methods. Techniques such as NMR, XRD, neutron activation analysis,
atomic absorption spectroscopy, IR/UV spectroscopy, electron micros-
copy, surface area techniques, pore characterization, zeta potential, vis-
cometry, thermal analysis, etc., have been used with some success. Of the
thermal analysis techniques the Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA),
Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG), Differential Scanning Calorimetry
(DSC), and Conduction Calorimetric methods are more popularly used than
others. They are more adaptable, easier to use, and yield important results
in a short span of time. In this chapter the application of these techniques
will be highlighted and some of the work reported utilizing other related
methods will also be mentioned with typical examples.

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