Chaotropic substances and their effects on the mechanical strength of Portland cement-based materials

Abstract

Portland cement-based materials are present in our everyday life. Over the last two decades, important developments have been made to improve their mechanical strength, mainly through microstructural design. In addition, another promising parameter still remains in the early stages of understanding: that of adhesion. Recently, interdisciplinary researchers have considered the issue of water confinement by the hydrated cementitious surfaces. It could contribute to increase the adhesion and strength in these materials. On the other hand, ionic and nonionic chaotropic substances might be able to disorder the structure of such special water. The results presented in this paper show important effects of these chaotropic substances on the strength of cementitious materials. They highlight the role of the confined water on the adhesion, when the microstructural parameters are kept constant. More than contributing to the fundamental understanding of adhesion within cement paste, these results provide basic insights on in-situ nanotechnology.