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Multifractal Analysis of Calcium Silicate Hydrate ( C – S – H ) Mapped by X ‐ray Diffraction Microtomography
Author(s) -
Valentini Luca,
Artioli Gilberto,
Voltolini Marco,
Dalconi Maria Chiara
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2012.05255.x
Subject(s) - multifractal system , calcium silicate hydrate , materials science , mineralogy , precipitation , silicate , clinker (cement) , hydrate , diffraction , cement , microstructure , porosity , portland cement , fractal , composite material , geology , chemical engineering , chemistry , optics , physics , mathematics , mathematical analysis , engineering , organic chemistry , meteorology
An investigation of Calcium Silicate Hydrate ( C – S – H ) topological distribution and modes of precipitation is performed by combining X ‐ray powder diffraction tomography, performed on an ordinary Portland cement sample, with a numerical scheme that simulates C – S – H precipitation. C – S – H distribution maps obtained both experimentally and numerically are analyzed by means of a quantitative method based on the principles of multifractal systems. The combination of these methods allows C – S – H spatial distribution and modes of precipitation and aggregation to be assessed quantitatively. In particular, the multifractal spectra obtained from the digital images of the cement paste microstructure, act as a structural probe, which is able to quantify the tendency of C – S – H to form clusters. The results of this combined approach suggest that a multifractal network forms by aggregation of C – S – H clusters heterogeneously nucleated on clinker grains and preexisting clusters that are partly homogeneously nucleated in the porous space.