Abstract
It has been observed that the hydration of cement paste stops when the relative humidity drops below about 80%. A thermodynamic analysis shows that the capillary pressure exerted at that RH shifts the solubility of tricalcium silicate, so that it is in equilibrium with water. This is a reflection of the chemical shrinkage in this system: according to Le Chatelier's principle, since the volume of the products is less than that of the reactants, a negative (capillary) pressure opposes the reaction.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 987-992 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Cement and Concrete Research |
Volume | 41 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 2011 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Building and Construction
- General Materials Science
Keywords
- A. Humidity
- A. Hydration
- A. Reaction