Relationship between the surface free energy of hardened cement paste and chemical phase composition

Special emphasis is put on to correlating the changes in phase composition with wettability of hardened cement paste. The results were found in contradiction, because it was demonstrated by XRD analysis that by increment in curing ages, high energy products are developed in the matrix which increases surface free energy. In contrast, surface evaporation of the water and bulk hydration cause a decrease in hydrophilic properties of the surface free energy. It was concluded that the latter phenomenon has more important impact than surface free energy.

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