A quantitative structural study of fresh cement paste by image analysis part 1: Image processing

Abstract

Flocculation and deflocculation have a fundamental role to play in the use of mortar and concrete. In order to monitor these phenomena more fully, we need to have a better understanding of the structure of fresh cement paste. The work presented in this publication is part of the process of meeting this need. By applying a technique of cryosublimation together with epoxy resin impregnation to fresh cement paste samples, we can obtain SEM images of test-piece cross-sections where the initial arrangement of anhydrous cement grains is modified neither by hydration nor by experimental procedure. Paste structure can thus be investigated by quantitative image analysis. By using a new method of image processing during filtering and binarization, we can obtain a binary image which faithfully reproduces the original image and on which we can then carry out geometrical parameter measurements.