Heavy ion beam measurement of the hydration of cementitious materials

The setting and development of strength of Portland cement concrete depends upon the reaction of water with various phases in the Portland cement. Nuclear resonance reaction analysis (NRRA) involving the 1H(15N,α,γ)12C reaction has been applied to measure the hydrogen depth profile in the few 100 nm thick surface layer that controls the early stage of the reaction. Specific topics that have been investigated include the reactivity of individual cementitious phases and the effects of accelerators and retarders.