Effect of polymer latexes with varied glass transition temperature on cement hydration

Influence of styrene‐acrylate latexes with varied glass transition temperature ( T g ) on cement hydration was studied and the mechanism was analyzed. Results show that polymer latexes with varied T g retard cement hydration to different extents. Specifically, low T g polymer shows stronger retardation effect than the high T g polymer. Despite similar surface charges, colloidal particles with lower T g exhibit higher affinity to surface of cement grains than the high T g polymer, indicated by the higher adsorption amount and denser covering layer. The low T g polymer experiences particle packing, deforming, and film forming processes along with the consumption of water during cement hydration, which eventually produces a covering layer of polymer surrounding cement grains. However, for the high T g polymer, film forming process is absent. Consequently, the higher adsorption amount and the film‐formation process along with cement hydration are the two reasons for the stronger retardation effect of the low T g polymer. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134 , 45264.