Influence and mechanism of zeolite on the setting and hardening process of styrene-acrylic ester/cement composite cementitious materials

This paper aims to solve the problem of retardation existing in the setting and hardening process of styrene-acrylic ester/cement composite cementitious materials (short for SAE-cement). It was found that zeolite could shorten the initial and final setting time of SAE-cement and increase its early-strength effectively. The hydration heat, hydration degree and hydrates of SAE-cement were analyzed by using isothermal calorimeter and XRD analyzer in order to analyze the function mechanism of zeolite in SAE-cement. The results showed that zeolite could promote the hydration of SAE-cement, significantly shorten the induction period of this cement and improve its hydration degree. Besides, it was found that zeolite could transform into AFt and C-S-H gel in the SAE-cement. Faster hydration and more AFt and C-S-H gel formation make the setting and hardening process of SAE-cement faster.