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Novel Cementitious Materials

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2021) | Viewed by 15520

Special Issue Editor

Department of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Interests: cementitious materials; hydration mechanism of composite binders; utilization of industrial by-products for the manufacture of building materials; high-performance concrete; durability of concrete materials and structures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Cementitious material is the artificially engineered material produced in the largest quantities. Many novel cementitious materials were developed and used in different industries, such as UHPC, ECC, geopolymers, some non-Portland cements, etc. They show many special and interesting properties which could be useful to satisfy the increasingly demanding requirements on mechanical and durability properties of infrastructures under heavy load built in severe environments. The relationship of their composition, microstructure, and properties has been under intensive study in recent decades. Therefore, this Special Issue invites the submission of works related to the preparation and microstructural characteristics of novel cementitious materials, as well as their properties and applications in different fields. The Special Issue may be very useful for the readers to gain a greater understanding of novel cementitious materials. For the authors, the Issue will be a good opportunity for publication after peer review by expert researchers in cementitious materials. Review articles by experts in the field will also be welcome.

Prof. Dr. Peiyu Yan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • preparation
  • hydration
  • microstructure
  • mechanical properties
  • durability

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 5836 KiB  
Article
Influence of Submicron Fibrillated Cellulose Fibers from Cotton on Hydration and Microstructure of Portland Cement Paste
by Jing Wu, Qingjun Ding, Wen Yang, Luoxin Wang and Hua Wang
Molecules 2021, 26(19), 5831; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26195831 - 26 Sep 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1468
Abstract
This paper reports the influence of submicron hydrophilic fibers on the hydration and microstructure of Portland cement paste. Submicron fibrillated cellulose (SMC) fibers was prepared by the acid hydrolysis of cotton fibers in H2SO4 solution (55% v/v) [...] Read more.
This paper reports the influence of submicron hydrophilic fibers on the hydration and microstructure of Portland cement paste. Submicron fibrillated cellulose (SMC) fibers was prepared by the acid hydrolysis of cotton fibers in H2SO4 solution (55% v/v) for 1.5 h at a temperature of 50 °C. The SMC fibers were added into cement with a dosage of 0.03 wt.%, and the effect of SMC on the hydration and microstructure of cement paste was investigated by calorimeter analysis, XRD, FT-IR, DSC-TG, and SEM. Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) fibers were used as the contrast admixture with the same dosage in this study. The results show that the addition of SMC fibers can accelerate the cement hydration rate during the first 20 h of the hydration process and improve the hydration process of cement paste in later stages. These results are because the scale of SMC fibers more closely matches the size of the C-S-H gel compared to MCC fibers, given that the primary role of the SMC is to provide potential heterogeneous nucleation sites for the hydration products, which is conducive to an accelerated and continuous hydration reaction. Furthermore, the induction and bridging effects of the SMC fibers make the cement paste microstructure more homogeneous and compact. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Cementitious Materials)
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17 pages, 2843 KiB  
Article
Comparative Study of Different Measurement Methods for Characterizing Rheological Properties of Lubrication Layer
by Yu Liu, Rui Jing and Peiyu Yan
Molecules 2021, 26(13), 3889; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26133889 - 25 Jun 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1357
Abstract
The lubrication layer plays a governing role in predicting the pumpability of fresh concrete. To determine the effect of measurement methods on the characterization of the rheological properties of the lubrication layer, different measurement systems, including Sliper, tribometer, and the utilization of a [...] Read more.
The lubrication layer plays a governing role in predicting the pumpability of fresh concrete. To determine the effect of measurement methods on the characterization of the rheological properties of the lubrication layer, different measurement systems, including Sliper, tribometer, and the utilization of a mortar rheometer, were employed. The rheological properties and workability of bulk concrete were measured in parallel to investigate the correlation between them and the rheological properties of the lubrication layer. The results show that the measured values of the rheological parameters of the lubrication layer differ due to the systematic deviation between different measurement methods. The results obtained by both tribometer and mortar rheometer were well-correlated, having a linear relationship with the rheological parameters of bulk concrete. The correlation coefficient between results gained with Sliper and rheological parameters of concrete or lubrication layer determined with other methods was not high enough. Addition friction led to the large accidental error and overestimated yield stress obtained with Sliper. The workability of concrete is only suitable for characterizing the rheological properties of bulk concrete. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Cementitious Materials)
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13 pages, 4070 KiB  
Article
Hydration Kinetics for Alkaline Activation of Slag from Color Variation Data
by Zhaoyang Ding, Jinghai Zhou, Qun Su, Hong Sun, Yichao Zhang, Qing Wang, Hongguang Bian and Fengxin Dong
Molecules 2021, 26(12), 3764; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26123764 - 21 Jun 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1587
Abstract
In this study, we explore a new method based on color variation data to derive the kinetics of the entire process of the hydration of alkali-activated slag (AAS). Using this image analysis technique, we can monitor the induction period that cannot be observed [...] Read more.
In this study, we explore a new method based on color variation data to derive the kinetics of the entire process of the hydration of alkali-activated slag (AAS). Using this image analysis technique, we can monitor the induction period that cannot be observed using conventional microcalorimetry techniques. Color variation was recorded across a sequence of 9999 images, which were processed via MATLAB software package. Further, an average pixel value (APV) was determined to represent the color in each image. Reaction parameters, such as color variation velocity v(t), reaction speed ε(t), and hydration degree α(t), that govern the entire hydration process were determined. On the basis of the reaction parameters and a Krstulovic–Dabic kinetic model, integral and differential equations were derived to simulate the three basic processes of AAS hydration. Equations describing the reaction kinetics of AAS with solutions of three different concentrations of NaOH were extracted using this method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Cementitious Materials)
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10 pages, 3203 KiB  
Article
Characterization of a Novel CaCO3-Forming Alkali-Tolerant Rhodococcus erythreus S26 as a Filling Agent for Repairing Concrete Cracks
by Seunghoon Choi, Sungjin Park, Minjoo Park, Yerin Kim, Kwang Min Lee, O-Mi Lee and Hong-Joo Son
Molecules 2021, 26(10), 2967; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26102967 - 17 May 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1813
Abstract
Biomineralization, a well-known natural phenomenon associated with various microbial species, is being studied to protect and strengthen building materials such as concrete. We characterized Rhodococcus erythreus S26, a novel urease-producing bacterium exhibiting CaCO3-forming activity, and investigated its ability in repairing concrete [...] Read more.
Biomineralization, a well-known natural phenomenon associated with various microbial species, is being studied to protect and strengthen building materials such as concrete. We characterized Rhodococcus erythreus S26, a novel urease-producing bacterium exhibiting CaCO3-forming activity, and investigated its ability in repairing concrete cracks for the development of environment-friendly sealants. Strain S26 grown in solid medium formed spherical and polygonal CaCO3 crystals. The S26 cells grown in a urea-containing liquid medium caused culture fluid alkalinization and increased CaCO3 levels, indicating that ureolysis was responsible for CaCO3 formation. Urease activity and CaCO3 formation increased with incubation time, reaching a maximum of 2054 U/min/mL and 3.83 g/L, respectively, at day four. The maximum CaCO3 formation was achieved when calcium lactate was used as the calcium source, followed by calcium gluconate. Although cell growth was observed after the induction period at pH 10.5, strain S26 could grow at a wide range of pH 4–10.5, showing its high alkali tolerance. FESEM showed rhombohedral crystals of 20–60 µm in size. EDX analysis indicated the presence of calcium, carbon, and oxygen in the crystals. XRD confirmed these crystals as CaCO3 containing calcite and vaterite. Furthermore, R. erythreus S26 successfully repaired the artificially induced large cracks of 0.4–0.6 mm width. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Cementitious Materials)
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14 pages, 1581 KiB  
Article
Properties of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement Mortar Modified by Hydroxyethyl Methyl Celluloses with Different Degrees of Substitution
by Shaokang Zhang, Ru Wang, Linglin Xu, Andreas Hecker, Horst-Michael Ludwig and Peiming Wang
Molecules 2021, 26(8), 2136; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26082136 - 08 Apr 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1619
Abstract
This paper studies the influence of hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose (HEMC) on the properties of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement mortar. In order to explore the applicability of different HEMCs in CSA cement mortars, HEMCs with higher and lower molar substitution (MS)/degree of substitution (DS) [...] Read more.
This paper studies the influence of hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose (HEMC) on the properties of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement mortar. In order to explore the applicability of different HEMCs in CSA cement mortars, HEMCs with higher and lower molar substitution (MS)/degree of substitution (DS) and polyacrylamide (PAAm) modification were used. At the same time, two kinds of CSA cements with different contents of ye’elimite were selected. Properties of cement mortar in fresh and hardened states were investigated, including the fluidity, consistency and water-retention rate of fresh mortar and the compressive strength, flexural strength, tensile bond strength and dry shrinkage rate of hardened mortar. The porosity and pore size distribution were also analyzed by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). Results show that HEMCs improve the fresh state properties and tensile bond strength of both types of CSA cement mortars. However, the compressive strength of CSA cement mortars is greatly decreased by the addition of HEMCs, and the flexural strength is decreased slightly. The MIP measurement shows that HEMCs increase the amount of micron-level pores and the porosity. The HEMCs with different MS/DS have different effects on the improvement of tensile bond strength in different CSA cement mortars. PAAm modification can improve the tensile bond strength of HEMC-modified CSA cement mortar. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Cementitious Materials)
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20 pages, 3833 KiB  
Article
A Rheological Model for Evaluating the Behavior of Shear Thickening of Highly Flowable Mortar
by Mengyuan Li, Jianguo Han, Yuqi Zhou and Peiyu Yan
Molecules 2021, 26(4), 1011; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26041011 - 14 Feb 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2060
Abstract
Neither the modified Bingham model nor the Herschel–Bulkley model can be used to characterize and calculate the performance of shear thickening of highly flowable mortar because of their incalculability of the rheological parameters. A new exponential rheological model was established to solve the [...] Read more.
Neither the modified Bingham model nor the Herschel–Bulkley model can be used to characterize and calculate the performance of shear thickening of highly flowable mortar because of their incalculability of the rheological parameters. A new exponential rheological model was established to solve the characterization and calculation of shear thickening of the lubrication layer (highly flowable mortar) during the pumping of concrete in this paper. This new exponential rheological model has three rheological parameters, namely, yield stress, consistency coefficient, and consistency exponent. They can quantitatively describe the yield stress, differential viscosity, and shear thickening degree of highly flowable mortar. The calculating results of the rheological parameters of the newly established model for the mortars with different compositions showed that the consistency exponent of mortar decreased with the increase of its sand-binder ratio or the dosage of fly ash in the binder. This indicates that the shear thickening degree of mortar decreases. The consistency exponent of mortar initially decreases and subsequently increases with the increase in silica fume content or the dosage of the superplasticizer. It illustrates that the degree of the shear thickening of mortar initially decreased and subsequently increased. These varying patterns were confirmed by the rheological experiment of mortars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Cementitious Materials)
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20 pages, 10247 KiB  
Article
Quantitative Evaluation of Carbon Fiber Dispersion in Amorphous Calcium Silicate Hydrate-Based Contact-Hardening Composites
by Guangxiang Ji, Guangqi Xiong, Xiaoqin Peng, Shuping Wang, Chong Wang, Keke Sun and Lu Zeng
Molecules 2021, 26(3), 726; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26030726 - 30 Jan 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2659
Abstract
Carbon fiber dispersion has a substantial influence on the properties of amorphous calcium silicate hydrate-based contact-hardening composites. In this study, a mixture of carbon fiber and calcium silicate hydrate powder was compressed into solid composites at 40 MPa for one minute. The mechanical [...] Read more.
Carbon fiber dispersion has a substantial influence on the properties of amorphous calcium silicate hydrate-based contact-hardening composites. In this study, a mixture of carbon fiber and calcium silicate hydrate powder was compressed into solid composites at 40 MPa for one minute. The mechanical properties and electrical resistivity of the solid materials were measured, and the dispersion of carbon fibers was quantitatively evaluated by digital image processing technology. The Taipalu model was used to build the correlation between the electrical resistivity of the composites and the carbon fiber dispersion. The results of the electrical resistivity showed that the down threshold of carbon fiber content in the contact-hardening composites was 1.0 wt.% and the electrical resistivity was 30,000 Ω·cm. As the fiber content increased to 2.0 wt.%, the electrical resistivity dropped to 2550 Ω·cm, which was attributed to the increase in fiber dispersion uniformity in the solid composites, and the value of the fiber distribution coefficient reached a maximum value of 0.743. A subsequent decrease in the uniformity of the fiber dispersion was observed at a high fiber content. In addition, the carbon fiber content showed a slight influence on the fiber orientation in the contact-hardening composites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Cementitious Materials)
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19 pages, 12793 KiB  
Article
Improving Environmental Efficiency of Reverse Filling Cementitious Materials through Packing Optimization and Fiber Incorporation
by Yang Liu, Lou Chen, Keren Zheng and Qiang Yuan
Molecules 2021, 26(3), 647; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26030647 - 27 Jan 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1980
Abstract
To improve the environmental efficiency of the reverse filling system, three strategies aim to optimize the packing density, and the mechanical property were adopted in this study. Based on the compressive packing model (CPM), the relationship between the D50 ratio and maximum theoretical [...] Read more.
To improve the environmental efficiency of the reverse filling system, three strategies aim to optimize the packing density, and the mechanical property were adopted in this study. Based on the compressive packing model (CPM), the relationship between the D50 ratio and maximum theoretical packing density for a reverse filling system with 25% and 30% superfine Portland cement was established. For comparison, silica fume and steel fiber were also added to the reverse filling system, respectively. The improvement of packing density by adjusting the D50 ratio was verified through the minimum water demand method, CPM, and modified Andreasen and Andersen (MAA) model. Compared to the reverse filling system added with 3 wt % silica fume, which possesses a comparable mechanical property with the optimized group (adjusted D50 ratio), the incorporation of steel fiber shows a more significant increase. The environmental efficiency of all the samples was quantified into five aspects through the calculation based on the mix proportion, compressive strength, and hydration degree. The comprehensive evaluation demonstrated that the optimized reverse filling system exerts a lower environmental impact and possesses a much higher cement use efficiency compared to the majority of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC)/ ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) reported in published papers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Cementitious Materials)
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