Preparation and properties of calcium aluminum silicate hydrate–polycarboxylate nanocomposites (CASH–PCE)

Abstract

The CSH–PCE additive provides more nucleation area for cement to hydrate more quickly. Al³⁺ has been proven to enter the CSH structure and influence the composition and morphology. In this paper, CASH–PCE nanocomposites (CPNs) with different Al/Si ratios are synthesized at different PCE concentrations using a co-precipitation method. And the effect of various systems of CPNs on the workability, hydration kinetics, pore structure, and mechanical properties of cementitious materials are studied. In the results, PCE is observed to adsorb onto CASH surfaces, and with an increase in PCE concentration, the adsorption of PCE increases, leading to a reduction in CPNs particle size and an enhancement in the workability of cement. Al³⁺ can regulate the particle size of CPNs by affecting the adsorption capacity of PCE. The study on the hydration kinetics shows that the smaller particle size of CPNs has a more obvious promoting effect on cement hydration.

Keywords:

• CASH
• polycarboxylate
• Al/Si ratio
• concentration
• cement hydration

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51872137), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD) and the China Scholarship Council (No. 202108320247) for their collective funding of this work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51872137), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), and the China Scholarship Council (No. 202108320247) for their collective funding of this work.