Influence de tensioactifs sur l'hydratation du ciment à l'interface béton/coffrage

National audienceLa microstructure des principaux hydrates du ciment dans les premiers microns de la surface du béton affecte les propriétés de surface telles que porosité, dureté, résistance aux taches, etc. En particulier, des variations dans la quantité et la taille des cristaux d'hydroxyde de calcium peuvent faire apparaître des propriétés de surface intéressantes. Malgré cela, les paramètres et les mécanismes qui gouvernent la croissance de la Portlandite ne sont pas encore bien connus. Cette étude s'intéresse à l'utilisation de solutions composées d'eau et de tensioactifs non ioniques à l'interface béton/coffrage. Dans certains cas, la présence d'un tensioactif favorise la nucléation et la croissance de Portlandite en surface du béton. La quantité de Portlandite, mesurée par analyse d'image, semble augmenter avec l'hydrophobie du tensioactif utilisé. Des observations MEB montrent que les cristaux induits par les tensioactifs présentent une structure atypique composée de fines couches superposées. Enfin, des essais de calorimétrie montrent que les tensioactifs ne modifient pas la cinétique d'hydratation du ciment

The application of 29Si NMR spectroscopy to the analysis of calcium silicate-based cement using Biodentine™ as an example

Biodentine is one of the most successful and widely studied among the second generation of calcium silicate-based endodontic cements. Despite its popularity, the setting reactions of this cement system are not currently well understood. In particular, very little is known about the formation and structure of the major calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gel phase as it is difficult to obtain information on this poorly crystalline material by the traditional techniques of powder X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In this study, the hydration reactions of Biodentine™ are monitored by XRD, FTIR, isothermal conduction calorimetry, and for the first time, 29Si magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (29Si MAS NMR) is used to investigate the structures of the anhydrous calcium silicate phases and the early C-S-H gel product. XRD analysis indicated that the anhydrous powder comprises 73.8 wt% triclinic tricalcium silicate, 4.45 wt% monoclinic β-dicalcium silicate, 16.6 wt% calcite and 5.15 wt% zirconium oxide. Calorimetry confirmed that the induction period for hydration is short and that the setting reactions are rapid with a maximum heat evolution of 28.4 mW g−1 at 42 min. A progressive shift in the FTIR peak maximum from 905 to 995 cm-1 for the O-Si-O stretching vibrations accompanies the formation of the C-S-H gel during 1 week. The extent of hydration was determined by 29Si MAS NMR to be 87.0, 88.8 and 93.7% at 6 h, 1 day and 1 week, respectively, which is significantly higher than that of MTA. The mean silicate chain length (MCL) of the C-S-H gel was also estimated by this technique to be 3.7 at 6 h and 1 day, and to have increased to 4.1 after 1 week. The rapid hydration kinetics of Biodentine, arising from the predominance of the tricalcium silicate phase, small particle size, and ‘filler effect’ of calcite and zirconium oxide, is a favourable characteristic of an endodontic cement, and the high values of MCL are thought to promote the durability of the cement matrix

Influence of aggregate mineralogical composition on water resistance of aggregate–bitumen adhesion

The effects of aggregate mineralogical composition on moisture sensitivity of aggregate–bitumen bonds were investigated using four aggregate types (two limestone and two granite) and two bitumen grades (40/60 pen and 70/100 pen). Moisture sensitivity (or water resistance) of the aggregate–bitumen bonds were characterized using retained strength obtained from three different tensile tests (peel, PATTI and pull-off). The results showed significant differences in the amount of moisture absorbed by a given aggregate which suggested strong correlations between aggregate mineral composition and moisture absorption. For most of the aggregate–bitumen bonds, failure surfaces transformed from cohesive to adhesive with conditioning time thereby confirming the strong influence of moisture on aggregate bonds. The three tensile tests used in this study showed similar rankings in terms of moisture sensitivity but the pull-off test was found to be the most sensitive. The effect of bitumen on moisture sensitivity was found to be lower than the effect of aggregates, with the moisture absorption properties of the aggregates depending strongly on certain key minerals including clay, anorthite and calcite. Strong correlations were also found between mineral compositions and moisture sensitivity with clay and anorthite having strong negative influence while calcite showed positive effect on moisture sensitivity. Previous studies have identified various mineral phases like albite, quartz, and k-feldspar, as detrimental in terms of moisture sensitivity. The results appear to support the extension of the existing list of detrimental aggregate minerals to include anorthite and clay while supporting the case of calcite as a moisture resistant mineral

Experimental evaluation of cohesive and adhesive bond strength and fracture energy of bitumen-aggregate systems

Degradation of asphalt pavements is an inevitable phenomenon due to the combined effects of high traffic loads and harsh environmental conditions. Deterioration can be in the form of cohesive failure of the bitumen and/or bitumen-filler mastic or by adhesive failure between bitumen and aggregate. This paper presents an experimental investigation to characterise the cohesive and adhesive strength and fracture energy of bitumen-aggregate samples. The pneumatic adhesion tensile testing instrument test and the peel test were used to quantify the tensile fracture strength and fracture energy of different bitumen-aggregate combinations, with a view to analyse the influence of several parameters on the strength of the bitumen film or bitumen-aggregate interface. From the experimental results, harder (40/60 pen) bitumen tends to show much higher tensile strength and fracture energy than softer (70/100 pen) bitumen. Tensile strength is shown to be sensitive to testing temperature with the failure regime changing from cohesive to mixed cohesive/adhesive failure with decreasing temperature. In addition, the results show that aggregate properties do not influence the bonding strength if cohesive failure occurs, but with adhesive failure, granite aggregate tends to produce a higher bonding strength than limestone aggregate in the dry condition. In terms of the peel test, the fracture energy experienced an increasing trend with increasing film thickness. However, the normalised toughness decreased when film thickness increased from 0.2 to 0.9 mm

Study of behaviour on simulated daylight ageing of artists¿ acrylic and poly(vinyl acetate) paint films

[EN] This work proposes a multi-method approach that combines advanced microscopy (SEM/EDX, AFM) and spectroscopy (UV-vis and FTIR) techniques. This approach not only characterises the behaviour of the additives of two commercial poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and acrylic emulsion paints but also simultaneously characterises the changes in chemical composition and morphology observed in the paint films as a result of ageing due to the paints being exposed to an intense source of simulated daylight. In parallel, a series of mechanical tests were performed that correlate the chemical changes in composition and the changes observed in the films' mechanical properties. This work was a comparative study between both types of acrylic and PVAc paints. The results obtained are of great interest for the modern paint conservation field as they provide valuable information on the mid- and long-term behaviours of these synthetic paints.Financial support is gratefully acknowledged from the Spanish "I+D+I MICINN" project CTQ2008-06727-C03-01/BQU supported by ERDEF funds and from the "Generalitat Valenciana" I+D project ACOMP/2009/171 and the AP2006-3223 project ascribed to the Predoctoral Stages Programme of Universitary Researchers in Spanish Universities and Research Centres from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN). The authors wish to thank Mr. Manuel Planes i Insausti and Dr. Jose Luis Moya Lopez, the technical supervisors responsible for the Electron Microscopy Service at the Polytechnic University of Valencia.Domenech Carbo, MT.; Silva, MF.; Aura Castro, E.; Fuster López, L.; Kröner ., SU.; Martínez Bazán, ML.; Mas Barberà, X.... (2011). Study of behaviour on simulated daylight ageing of artists¿ acrylic and poly(vinyl acetate) paint films. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. 399:2921-2937. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-010-4294-3S2921293739

Development of a composite substrate peel test to assess moisture sensitivity of aggregate–bitumen bonds

This paper presents the development of a suitable procedure to prepare peel test specimens using coarse aggregates and compare the results with the established standard peel test. The newly developed composite substrate peel test (CSPT) was found to be effective in characterising the moisture sensitivity of the aggregate–bitumen bond and the results correlated well with the results from a standard peel test. The results from the CSPT and the standard peel test showed that the fracture energy after moisture damage was found to be aggregate type dependent. Limestone tends to have better resistance to moisture damage than granite when moisture adsorptions are similar. Furthermore, in terms of similar aggregates, lower moisture adsorption results in better moisture resistance. This phenomenon suggests that in a moisture susceptible asphalt mixture, the effect of aggregate may be more influential than the effect of bitumen. Strong correlations were found between the standard peel test and the CSPT in terms of moisture damage evaluation and suggest that the CSPT maybe a more practical procedure to test the aggregate–bitumen bond for actual aggregates used in asphalt mixtures