The effects of different particle size distributions on the real-time hydration of tricalcium silicate cement paste were studied in situ by quasi-elastic neutron scattering. The changing state of water in the cement system was followed as a function both of cement hydration time and of temperature for different initial particle size distributions. It was found that the length of the initial, dormant, induction period, together with the kinetics of hydration product nucleation and growth, depends on the hydration temperature but not on the particle size distribution. However, initial particle size does affect the total amount of cement hydrated, with finer particle size producing more hydrated cement. Furthermore, the diffusion-limited rate of hydration at later hydration time is largely determined by the initial tricalcium silicate particle size distribution.
Identification of the initial particle size distribution for coal combustion simulations