Concrete is the most widely used man-made material in the world, second only to water. The large-scale production of cements contributes to approximately 5% anthropogenic CO2 emission. Microgravity research can lead to more durable and hence more cost-effective material

Neves, Juliana

Radlinska, Aleksandra

Scheetz, Barry

NASA Technical Reports Server

Juliana	Neves,	Aleksandra	Radlińska,	and	Barry	Scheetz
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University 
MFSC Team Lead: Richard Grugel, PhD., NASA / Marshall Space Flight Center MS - EM31
MICROGRAVITY	 INVESTIGATIGATION	OF	CEMENT	SOLIDIFICATION
Contact:	
jmn273@psu.edu
Research	Opportunities	 in	Materials	Science	– Materials	Lab	Open	Science	 Campaigns	 for	Experiments	 on	 the	International	
Space	Station;	Under	Science	 and	 Technology	 and	other	Research	 and	Development	 (ST)
In	collaboration	 with:
Industrial	 partners:
RESEARCH	OBJECTIVES
The	 intent	of	this	work	 is	to	utilize	 the	microgravity	
environment	 aboard	 the	 International	 Space	Station	 (ISS)	
to	investigate	 the	complex	process	of	cement	
solidification.
Samples	are	going	 to	
be	launched	to	 ISS	 in	
2018
Mixing	 and	
hardening	 takes	
place	 in	0g
Microstructural	development	 of	hydrating	cement	 results	
in	elaborate	 combinations	of	amorphous	and	crystalline	
phases.	The	morphology,	 volume	 fraction,	and	distribution	
of	these	phases	ultimately	 determine	 the	hardened	
cement’s	 material	 properties.
BACKGROUND	ON	CEMENT	HYDRATION
5	hours	 of	hydration:
2	weeks	of	hydration:
Image	 credits:	 NIST
Microstructural	 development	 of	cement	
in	1g environment:
Adapted	from	Richardson	(2004)
Short-range	
ordered	calcium	
silicate	 layers
Interlayer	
porosity
Minimizing	gravity-driven	 phenomena,	 such	as	
thermosolutal	 convective	 flow	and	sedimentation,	 will	
ensure	crystal	growth	strictly	by	diffusion	and	a	
considerably	different	microstructure	 than	 that	observed	
in	typical	 laboratory	 conditions	on	Earth.
HYPOTHESIS
After	 Meyer	 and	Plank,	2016.
The	understanding	of	cement	 hydration	in	0g is	limited	 to	
10	seconds	in	parabolic	 flight.	Despite	the	short	duration	
of	the	experiment,	 the	amount	of	crystal,	 its	size,	and	
shape	already	 present	 significant	differences,	as	showing	 in	
the	 images	 below	 (Meyer	 and	Plank,	2016).
RESEARCH	DELIVERABLES:
• Determine	 the	mechanical	 properties	 of	
hardened	 samples	mixed	 in	0g;
• Petrographic	and	microstructural	
investigation
• Computer	 simulation	of	cement	 hydration,	
including	 the	role	of	gravity.
Mindess,	S.;	 Young	J.	F.;	and	Darwin	D.	(2003).	Concrete	–Second	Edition.	Pearson	Education	Inc.	
Chapter	4	–Hydration	of 	Portland	Cement,	p.	57-91.
Richardson,	I.	(2004).Tobermorite/jennite-and	tobermorite/calcium	hydroxide-based	models	for	
the	structure	of 	CSH:	applicability	to	hardened	pastes	of	tricalcium silicate,	β-dicalcium silicate,	
Portland	cement,	and	blends	of 	Portland	cement	with	blast-furnace	slag,	metakaolin,	 or	silica	fume.	
Cement	and	Concrete	Research,	34(9) ,	1733-77.
Meier,	M.	R.;	 and	Plank,	J.	(2016).Crystal	growth	of	[Ca3Al(OH)6 .	12H2O]2 .	(SO4)3 .	2H2O	
(ettringite) 	under	microgravity:	On	the	impact	of 	anionicity of	polycarboxylatecomb	polymers.	
Journal	of 	Crystal	Growth,	446,	92-102.
WHY	DOES	THIS	RESEARCH	
MATTER	ON	EARTH	TOO?
Concrete	 is	the	most	widely	 used	man-made	 material	 in	
the	world,	 second	only	to	water.	 	The	 large	 –scale	
production	of	cements	contributes	 to	~5%	anthropogenic	
CO2 emission.	
Microgravity	 research	can	 lead	 to	more	
durable	and	hence	more	cost-effective	
material.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20170008143 2019-08-29T23:24:09+00:00Z


Microgravity Investigation of Cement Solidification

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