A Review of the use of Proton Magnetic Resonance to Study Superplasticizers

Abstract

ABSTRACTProton pulse nuclear magnetic resonance can be used to follow the hydration of C3S and C3A, individually and mixed, with and without gypsum and superplasticizers. The variation of the spin-lattice relaxation time from early ages up to the times of setting and hardening is related first to the mobility of water molecules in rapid exchange, then to the progress of solid-water interfaces.Plasticizers act as retarders to lengthen the induction period. They behave differently with pure phases taken separately than with mixtures, in which a mutual interaction of C3S, C3A, gypsum and admixture has been characterized. Among the three superplasticizers studied, the sulfonated melanine formaldehyde was the strongest retarder, while the sodium sulfonated naphthalene was the weakest.