Stimuli responsive workability retention of cement paste containing polycarboxylate superplasticiser

Abstract

Polycarboxylate superplasticisers (PCE) were synthesised and their structure was characterised by Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy. The simulated physiological environmental effects on the workability retention of cement paste containing PCE were studied; that is, stimuli response to sulfates by measuring the fluidity, waterreducing ratio, compressive strength and setting time. The fluidity and water-reducing ratio of cement paste containing PCE with a long chain weakly depended on the salt dosage, but properties of compressive strength and setting time were strongly influenced by the salt dosage. However, the fluidity, water-reducing ratio, compressive strength and setting time of cement containing PCE with both long and short chains were strongly influenced by alkaline sulfate. PCE with a long side chain has a good compatibility with cement paste. The ionic responsive properties are attributed to the change of the PCE adsorption ratio, which results directly in a variation of the dispersing force of superplasticiser.

Editorial

“…Liang et al (2015) investigate the influence of alkaline sulfate on the workability retention of cement paste that contains polycarboxylate superplasticiser (PCE). The authors found the presence of alkaline sulfate has a lower impact on the setting time and compressive strength when the cement paste contains PCE with a long side chain.…”