The application of Raman spectrometry to investigate and characterize cement, Part I: A review

Raman spectrometry has received attention for the past 3 decades in its application to the characterisation of pure cement phases, white and grey cements. Various configurations of instrumentation and laser excitation sources have been used, as reported in a limited number of papers. The first demonstrated investigation in 1976 by Bensted, illustrated the characterisation of various pure mineral cement phases with the use of a visible excitation source and a standard dispersive configuration. This was soon followed by an investigation of pure phases, as well as white and grey cements in 1980 by Conjeaud and co-workers using a microprobe configuration and visible excitation. Considerable difficulties with excessive fluorescence phenomena, especially with grey cements, have however been reported from the initial to the most recent publication. This review aimed to report on Raman studies of pure synthesized cement phases, cement phases as found in white and grey cements, various forms of gypsum and related compounds as found in cement and concrete, hydration of pure cement phases, as well as those of white and grey cement and lastly carbonation effects. Results reported are discussed and tables of summarized observed Raman shifts are given.