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Reaction Mechanism and Properties of Cement-Based Materials (2nd Edition)
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Reaction Mechanism and Properties of Cement-Based Materials (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2025 | Viewed by 2463

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Weiting Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
Interests: high-performance cement-based materials; shrinkage reduction and toughening mechanism of concrete; prevention and control of concrete cracks; recycling of solid waste; organic-inorganic composite cementitious materials; molecular dynamics simulation
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cement is one of the most important building materials in human history, and is used to build various infrastructures due to its high strength, excellent durability, and relatively low cost. The microstructure of cement-based materials is composed of a cement paste system, stone, porosity, water content, and other components. Among them, the cement paste system, mainly the hydration product of clinker or a reaction precursor, is the most important component of cement-based materials. The microstructure of a reaction product, pores, and the constituent phase, as well as the hardening process of a cement paste system, have crucial influences on the mechanical and physical properties of the resulting materials. The in-depth understanding of the relationship between the microstructure and macroscopic properties of cement-based materials helps to design more efficient and stable cementitious materials for construction. Cement-based materials are multi-phase and multi-scale structures, and each component has a different degree of influence on the overall mechanical and physical properties. This Special Issue focuses on, but is not limited to, the mechanisms of the physicochemical effects on the cracking and toughening properties of cement-based materials on the macroscopic scale, such as gelling components, aggregates, admixtures, fibers, the water–binder ratio, curing system, and environmental effect; the effects of micrometer-scale reinforcement materials, such as microbeads, whiskers, and osmotic crystals, on filling, bridging, bonding, and osmotic crystallization in cement-based material systems; the enhancing effects and mechanisms of nano-scale reinforcement materials, such as nano-SiO2, nano-CaCO3, graphene, carbon nanotubes, micro-organisms, nano-polymers, etc., on the microstructure of hydration products as well as the growth mode and pore structure of hardened paste; and the conjugate toughening effects of cross-scale components such as “carbon fiber + carbon nanotubes” and “fiber + whisker + graphene” on different scales of cement-based materials.

It is my pleasure to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, “Reaction Mechanism and Properties of Cement-Based Materials”. Full papers, communications, discussions, and reviews related to the current research, application, and development of strengthening, toughening, and durability enhancement components of different scales of cement-based materials, reaction mechanisms, and properties of various cementitious materials, including Portland cement, aluminate cement, sulfate aluminum cement, ferroaluminate cement, and phosphate cement, are welcomed.

Dr. Weiting Xu
Guest Editor

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cement-based materials
  • cement-based composite materials
  • kinetics of hydration evolution
  • strengthening, toughening, and durability enhancement effect and mechanism
  • multi-phase and multi-scale structures of cement-based materials
  • macro-properties and micro-structure
  • numerical simulation study of cement-based materials
  • macro-properties and micro-structure of cement or concrete
  • utilization of waste in the production of sustainable cement-based materials
  • reaction mechanism of admixtures and their effects on the properties of cement or concrete
  • mechanism and properties of 3D-printing cement materials
  • cement-based functional materials
  • portland cement, aluminate cement, sulfate aluminum cement, ferroaluminate cement, and phosphate cement

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 5523 KiB  
Article
Redispersible Acrylic Ester Polymers: Effect of Polymer Property Changes Due to Polymerization Method Modification and Functional Additives on the Performance of Polymer Cement Mortar
by Jeong-Bae Lee
Materials 2024, 17(22), 5534; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17225534 - 13 Nov 2024
Viewed by 306
Abstract
This paper presents an experimental study aimed at improving the performance of polymer cement mortar by evaluating the properties of acrylic ester redispersible polymers, synthesized using a change in polymerization method from emulsion monomer to monomer dropwise addition methods, along with the use [...] Read more.
This paper presents an experimental study aimed at improving the performance of polymer cement mortar by evaluating the properties of acrylic ester redispersible polymers, synthesized using a change in polymerization method from emulsion monomer to monomer dropwise addition methods, along with the use of a functional additive in the form of a foaming agent. To achieve the research objectives, a polymer with a glass transition temperature of −11 °C was synthesized by fixing the monomer ratio, particle-size distribution, and glass transition temperature, and the physical properties of the polymer cement mortar were assessed. The results showed that polymers synthesized using the modified polymerization method increased elongation at break and possessed a 35% smaller average particle size. The use of the foaming agent also resulted in enhanced tensile strength. The polymer cement mortars made with these respective polymers demonstrated improvements in compressive strength 11~25%, flexural strength 53~77%, bond strength 78~113%, volumetric changes 65~88%, and water absorption 30~70%. These findings suggest that changes in the polymerization method and the incorporation of functional additives influence the average particle size and air entrainment control properties of the polymers, thereby positively impacting the performance of the cement hydrates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reaction Mechanism and Properties of Cement-Based Materials (2nd Edition))
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15 pages, 4090 KiB  
Article
Performance Research and Engineering Application of Fiber-Reinforced Lightweight Aggregate Concrete
by Feifei Jiang, Wencong Deng, Qi Wang, Jialei Wang and Zhongyang Mao
Materials 2024, 17(22), 5530; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17225530 - 13 Nov 2024
Viewed by 304
Abstract
Low strength and low impact toughness are two of the main issues affecting the use of lightweight aggregate concrete in harsh cold environments. In this study, the strength of concrete was improved by adding high-strength fibers to bear tensile stress and organize crack [...] Read more.
Low strength and low impact toughness are two of the main issues affecting the use of lightweight aggregate concrete in harsh cold environments. In this study, the strength of concrete was improved by adding high-strength fibers to bear tensile stress and organize crack propagation. Four sets of comparative experiments were designed with freeze–thaw cycles of 0, 50, 100, and 150 to study the mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced lightweight aggregate concrete under freeze–thaw conditions. A detailed study was conducted on the effects of freeze–thaw on the compressive strength, flexural strength, impact toughness, and microstructure of concrete with different fiber contents (3, 6, and 9 kg/m3). The results show that for ordinary lightweight aggregate concrete, under the freeze–thaw cycle, the internal pore water of the concrete froze and generated expansion stress, resulting in tensile cracks inside the concrete. The cracks gradually accumulated and expanded, ultimately leading to cracking and damage of concrete structures. After 150 cycles, the strength loss rate exceeded 25%. When adding a reasonable amount of fiber (6 kg/m3), the fiber took on the tensile stress and hindered the development of internal cracks, significantly enhancing the splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact toughness of lightweight aggregate concrete. And the failure pattern of concrete was significantly improved. At the beginning of the freeze–thaw cycle, the internal tensile stress was less than the fiber tensile strength and the fiber–matrix bonding strength, and the strength reduction rate of the concrete was slow. Relying on the friction absorption capacity between the fiber and the matrix, the fiber used its own deformation to resist the tensile stress. In the late stage of the freeze–thaw cycle, due to the destruction of the fiber–matrix transition zone structure, the bond strength decreased, the crack resistance and toughening effect decreased, and the strength of the concrete decreased rapidly. Moreover, the reduction in impact toughness was greater than the compressive strength and flexural strength under static load. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reaction Mechanism and Properties of Cement-Based Materials (2nd Edition))
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17 pages, 845 KiB  
Article
Influence of Grinding Aids on the Grinding Performance and Rheological Properties of Cementitious Systems
by Yahya Kaya, Hatice Gizem Şahin, Naz Mardani and Ali Mardani
Materials 2024, 17(21), 5328; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17215328 - 31 Oct 2024
Viewed by 753
Abstract
The cement industry is of great importance in terms of raw materials consumed, energy consumed, and greenhouse gases emitted. Grinding aids (GA) are used to reduce energy consumption and costs, as well as to reduce the amount of CO2 released into the [...] Read more.
The cement industry is of great importance in terms of raw materials consumed, energy consumed, and greenhouse gases emitted. Grinding aids (GA) are used to reduce energy consumption and costs, as well as to reduce the amount of CO2 released into the environment. In this study, the effect of GA-polycarboxylate ether-based water-reducing admixture (PCE) compatibility on some fresh, rheological and hardened state properties of cementitious systems was investigated. In order to investigate the rheological properties and thixotropic behavior of the mixtures, a total of 51 cement paste mixtures were prepared, containing 4 different types (molasses, MEG, DEA and ethanol) and ratios (0.025, 0.05, 0.75 and 0.1) of GAs and 2 different ratios (0.08% and 0.16%) of PCE in addition to the control mixture. In addition, the effect of the used GAs on the grinding efficiency and compressive strength value was investigated. Additionally, the predictability of the type of GA, dosage and cure time using the Taguchi method was investigated. It was determined that the highest grinding performance was obtained in mixtures containing MEG. It was determined that in cement paste mixtures containing GAs, the dynamic yield stress and viscosity values generally decrease with the increase in PCE usage rate up to a certain value, and these values may increase if the PCE usage increases further. It was determined that such behavior is not present in cement paste mixtures containing GAs and that the structural build-up value of the mixtures generally increases with the increase in the PCE admixture usage rate. It was determined that the use of GAs had a positive effect on 28-day compressive strength. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reaction Mechanism and Properties of Cement-Based Materials (2nd Edition))
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20 pages, 7114 KiB  
Article
The Synergistic Effect of Limestone Powder and Rice Husk Ash on the Mechanical Properties of Cement-Based Materials
by Jialei Wang, Feifei Jiang, Juan Zhou and Zhongyang Mao
Materials 2024, 17(20), 5058; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17205058 - 16 Oct 2024
Viewed by 846
Abstract
Fully utilizing solid waste as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) while ensuring the mechanical properties of cement-based materials is one of the pathways for carbon reduction in the cement industry. Understanding the effects of the two solid wastes-limestone powder (LP) and rice husk ash [...] Read more.
Fully utilizing solid waste as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) while ensuring the mechanical properties of cement-based materials is one of the pathways for carbon reduction in the cement industry. Understanding the effects of the two solid wastes-limestone powder (LP) and rice husk ash (RHA) on the mechanical properties of cement-based materials is of great significance for their application in concrete. This study investigates the impact of LP and RHA on the strength of cement mortar at various ages and the microhardness of hardened cement paste. The results suggest that two materials have a certain synergistic effect on the mechanical properties of the cementitious materials. The addition of RHA effectively addresses the issues of slow strength development, insufficient late-stage strength of the cementitious material, and the low strength blended with a large amount of LP, while a suitable amount of LP can promote the strength increase in the cement-RHA system. Based on the comprehensive analysis of compressive strength and microhardness, the optimal solution for achieving high mechanical properties in composite cementitious materials is to use 10% each of LP and RHA, resulting in a 9.5% increase in 28 d strength compared to a pure cement system. The higher the content of LP, the greater the increase caused by 10% RHA in compressive strength of the composite system, which makes the strength growth rate of cementitious material mixed with 10% LP at 3–56 d 62.1%. When the LP content is 20% and 30%, the addition of 10% RHA increases the 28 d strength by 44.8% and 38.8%, respectively, with strength growth rates reaching 109.8% and 151.1% at 3–56 d. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reaction Mechanism and Properties of Cement-Based Materials (2nd Edition))
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