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CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
- The rate of hydration of Portland cement and therefore its rate of hardening, depends
mainly on chemical composition. It is, however, of secondary importance in the
developments of ultimate strength.
- In general, somewhat higher ultimate strengths are reached by cements poor in time,
i.e. rich in β-dicalcium silicate.
- This observation agrees with the several assumptions that the strength of cement
depends on the specific surface of its hydration products.
Relation Between Hydration and Strength
- The degree to which the different compounds in cement contribute the strength is
however not the same, for although the compounds C3A, C4AF and C3S all hydrate rapidly,
the last is responsible for the major part of the strength developed.
- β-C2S hydrate slowly but progressively and its contribution of the strength but only after
one year it reaches the same level of C 3S.
Strength Contribution of Various Compounds
- C3S attains the greater part of its strength in 7 days and little increase occurs at long
ages.
- β-C2S produces little strength until after 28 days, but gains steadily in strength at later
ages until it approaches with C3S at one year,
- C3A produces some strength at one day, but shows no subsequent development. It
probably makes no contribution to the cementing action other than accounting for the
initial set and adding perhaps somewhat to the early strength.
- C4AF hydrates rapidly like C3A and develops a low strength.

Main Function of Compounds:
C3A is responsible for initial set (flash set).
C3S is responsible for early strength (at 7 days).
β-C2S & C3S are responsible for ultimate strength (1 year)
Fe2O3, Al2O3, MgO and alkalis: help in lowering clinkering temperature.
PROPERTIES OF CEMENT
1. Fineness:
- Clinker has no cementing properties until it is ground into a fine powder.
- Fine grinding ensures quicker hydration and there by affecting setting and hardening
properties.
- In fact it may appear that increasing fineness beyond a certain limit may reduce the
tensile strength of the neat cement but strength is definitely increased by fineness in case
of cement and sand mixture.
- According to the standard specification, fineness and specific surface for some types of
cement are limited as follows:
Type of cement Fineness Specific surface (cm2/g)
Normal P.C Residue by wt. on Sieve 170 not less than 2750 - 3250
(BSS) not more than 10%
Rapid Hardening P.C not more than 5% not less than 3750
Sand Cement not more than 5 % not less than 4000
2. Soundness of Cement: (Volume stability):
- This term means freedom from any volume change, warping or crack formation of a
cement paste.
- The expansion of cement is sincerely caused by free (uncombined) lime present due to
care less mixing or burning of the raw materials.
- The test is the one developed by Le Chattier. In this test the lateral expansion of cylinder,
made of a standard paste, is determined after heating in boiling water for one hour at an
age of 24 hours.
- It consists of small split cylinder forming a mould 30 mm internal diameter and 30 mm

high.
- On either side of the split are 165 mm long indicators with pointed ends. The cylinder is
placed on a glass plate. Filled with a paste of standard consistency which is made from
the cement to be tested, and then covered with another glass plate. The whole assembly
is placed for 24 hours in water at room temperature and the distance between the
indicators recorded.
- The mould is then placed in water which is heated to 1009C in 25 to 30 min, and kept
boiling for one hour. After cooling, the distance between the two measurements
represents the expansion of the cement. In accordance with BS this difference should not
exceed 10 mm.
FACTORS AFFECTING THE RATE OF HYDRATION
(1) Age of paste
The rate of hydration is maximum at early ages. With increasing time, the rate of
hydration decrease, due to no formation of dense layer of CSH around cement grains.
(2 ) fineness of cement
- The rate of hydration increase with fineness of the cement.
- Due to the finer particle, the greater surface area of cement, the higher rate of
hydration.
(3 ) cement composition
- After one day rate of hydration of C 3A is higher than other phases.
C3A > C3S > C4AF > C2S
- At later ages of hydration, layer of CSH is formed increase, so rate of hydration decrease.
- After 24 hours, 65% C3A is hydrated, compared to only 15% C 2S.

(4) water cement ratio
- At first days of hydration, water cement ratio not affected the rate of hydration.
- By increasing water cement ratio, the rate of hydration increase.
(5) temperature
The rate of hydration increase with temperature especially at early ages, providing rises
in temperature doesn’t cause any drying of paste.
(6) Accelerators and retarders
Accelerator: increase rate of hydration
Example: CaCl2
- Which increasing concentration of Ca+2 and increasing the solubility of aluminate ions.
- The higher concentration of Ca+2, the higher the rate of hydration of C 3S, the higher the
rate of hydration.
Retarder: decrease rate of hydration.
Example: hydroxy carboxylic acid

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CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

Relation Between Hydration and Strength

Strength Contribution of Various Compounds

- C4AF hydrates rapidly like C3A and develops a low strength.

C3A is responsible for initial set (flash set).

C3S is responsible for early strength (at 7 days).

β-C2S & C3S are responsible for ultimate strength (1 year)

Fe2O3, Al2O3, MgO and alkalis: help in lowering clinkering temperature.

- Clinker has no cementing properties until it is ground into a fine powder.

Type of cement Fineness Specific surface (cm2/g)

- It consists of small split cylinder forming a mould 30 mm internal diameter and 30 mm

(1) Age of paste

- The rate of hydration increase with fineness of the cement.

- After one day rate of hydration of C 3A is higher than other phases.

C3A > C3S > C4AF > C2S

- After 24 hours, 65% C3A is hydrated, compared to only 15% C 2S.

- By increasing water cement ratio, the rate of hydration increase.

(6) Accelerators and retarders

Accelerator: increase rate of hydration

Retarder: decrease rate of hydration.

Example: hydroxy carboxylic acid

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