Curing temperature effect on the mechanical performance of calcium aluminumate cement-based materials by EIS
Bin Hu, Jinghan Liu, Xiao-Bao Zuo, Yu Zhang
Abstract
In order to clarify the effect of curing temperature on the microstructure of calcium aluminate cement (CAC) pastes during their rapid hydration process, the hydration of CAC at low and high temperatures (20 ℃ and 60 ℃) was monitored for 18 days by using XRD and EIS tests. The phase composite of paste samples were clarified by QXRD anaylsis, and the degree and stage of CAC paste hydration can be described and characterized by the EIS parameters, bulk resistance ( R b ) and the effective conductivity ( σ eff ), respectively. In addition, The equivalent electrical circuit (EEC) model, R s ( R ct1 ( C 1 W 1 ))( R ct2 ( C 2 W 2 )), was used to simulate and describe the evolution of CAC paste microstructure during the hydration process, and the relationship between it and the compressive strength of CAC-based materials was quantitatively analyzed through circuit parameters. The results indicate that the use of EIS and EEC models can analyze and characterize the influence of curing conditions on the hydration process of CAC, and their parameters can provide a theoretical foundation for the health monitoring and performance evaluation of these materials in practical applications.