High Yield Stress Research Articles

Renovating Stability and Performance in Magnetorheological Fluids Through Particle Size and Shape Anisotropy

AbstractMagnetorheological (MR) fluids are smart materials consisting of magnetic particles in a non‐magnetic medium, undergoing phase transitions under a magnetic field to generate yield stress. However, sedimentation and limited particle content hinder their industrial application, balancing high yield stress with stability. This study introduces an innovative MR slurry using Sendust particles, achieving superior yield stress and sedimentation stability compared to traditional systems. Flake Sendust particles demonstrate enhanced yield stress at low magnetic fields due to their lower demagnetization factor, outperforming bulk Sendust despite lower packing volumes. These findings emphasize the critical role of particle morphology in optimizing MR fluid performance. The slurry maintains its magnetorheological properties while offering tunable yield stress, making it suitable for diverse applications. This research addresses traditional trade‐offs in MR fluid design, paving the way for advanced MR slurries in sensors, actuators, energy harvesters, haptic devices, and biomedical systems.

Study on the interaction between limestone filler and rice husk ash on the rheological properties of cement composite pastes

As an active supplementary cementitious material, rice husk ash (RHA) can improve several properties of cement paste. However, it has a significant negative impact on the flowability of cement pastes. This study aims to improve the rheological properties of cement-RHA paste by adding an additional admixture: limestone filler (LF). The rheological curve was measured using a rheometer, and the effects of LF and RHA on the rheological properties (dynamic and static yield stresses, consistency, and structural build-up) were investigated. The calculation and analysis of water film thickness (WFT) and the interaction forces between the particles in the paste were conducted to reveal the intrinsic mechanism. The results show that LF can effectively eliminate the adverse effect of RHA on rheological properties. When the RHA content is 10 %, the addition of 5 %, 10 %, and 20 % LF reduces the yield stress by 43.86 %, 69.64 %, and 87.11 %, respectively, and decreases the consistency by 28.17 %, 40.85 %, and 73.24 %, respectively. The high porosity of RHA leads to significant water absorption, which affects the WFT between paste particles much more than LF. The WFT decreases with RHA, resulting in a higher yield stress. The higher specific surface area (SSA) of RHA reduces the spacing between paste particles, and the enhanced interactions between particles significantly increase the initial yield stress (20 min). The addition of LF reduces the inter-particle forces and the structural build-up, lowering the yield stress, which results in a good complementary effect between LF and RHA on the rheological properties. This study can provide guidance for the design of mix proportions considering the workability of the cement-LF-RHA composite system.

Torsional behavior of Ni-rich NiTi alloys obtained by powder metallurgy and hot deformation

The effects of severe plastic deformation on NiTi alloys’ structure and properties have been extensively studied over the past decades. However, there is a notable lack of systematic data regarding the impact of industrial hot deformation techniques on these alloys. This gap arises from challenges in manufacturing processes related to the unevenness of ingots produced by casting technologies. This study investigates the effects of hot rotary swaging, extrusion, and radial shear rolling on the martensitic transformation, shape memory effect, superelasticity, and damping capacity of NiTi Ni-rich alloys fabricated through powder metallurgy. The properties were investigated under torsional load on wires prepared by spark eroding from deformed rods. Our findings indicate that samples after rolling and extrusion exhibit a superelastic strain of 14 ± 0.5% attributed to a high yield stress of approximately 600–800 MPa and torsional testing providing the material to be fully involved in recovery process. Samples after rolling and swaging demonstrate a high level of reversible strain with a one-way shape memory effect ranging from 5 to 7%. Conversely, extrusion, due to the inhomogeneity of resulting workpieces, induces a complex, multi-stage martensitic transformation that undermines the shape memory effect. Furthermore, all deformation methods except extrusion contribute to increased alloy homogeneity, resulting in a narrower temperature range for martensitic transformations. Rotary swaging notably increases the height of an internal friction peak from 0.015 to 0.045 compared to the undeformed material, whereas rolling gives the lowest value of 0.012 among others. This study provides valuable insights into how hot thermomechanical processing influences the properties of NiTi alloys and shows that powder metallurgy combined with hot deformation can be considered an alternative approach for achieving high functional properties of these alloys.

Interaction between material and process parameters during 3D concrete extrusion process

Extrusion of cement-based materials in additive manufacturing is influenced by a complex interaction of various material and process parameters. This study aims to investigate the impact of rheological properties and printing parameters on the extrudability of cement-based materials as well as the interaction between rheological properties of print materials and extrusion speed, as a key printing process parameter. 20 different print materials with diverse rheological properties were extruded at 10 different extrusion speeds. The effect of material parameters (i.e. rheological properties) and process parameters (i.e., extrusion speed) and their interaction during the extrusion process were evaluated using filament continuity, conformity and consistency. At a constant printing speed, a higher yield stress adversely impacted filament continuity in mixtures with a yield stress of over 260 Pa, whereas viscosity showed minimal influence on filament quality within the tested range of the rheological properties. The results of this study highlighted a significant correlation between material and process parameters and that adapting process parameters to variations in material properties is crucial for meeting printing criteria. The filament consistency of the mixtures with high yield stress was more sensitive to change in the extrusion speed than that of mixtures with low yield stress. An opposite trend, however, was observed for filament conformity where low yield stress mixtures showed a higher sensitivity to the extrusion speed. A procedure was suggested and applied to determine the optimum extrusion speed. Optimal extrusion speeds enabled printing mixtures with a broader spectrum of rheological properties with an acceptable visual quality, filament conformity and consistency requirements. With extrusion speed adjustment, the extrudability window was expanded from dynamic yield stress of 108–126 Pa to 108–263 Pa and plastic viscosity of 8.2–12.3 Pa.s to 5.1–16.4 Pa.s.

Enhancement of {110}<001> Texture by Controlling α‐phase and Achievement of Low Young's Modulus and High Strength in Metastable β‐type Ti–Zr‐Based Alloys

Achieving both low Young's modulus and high strength, which are essentially in a trade‐off relationship, is an important challenge in the field of biomaterials. Herein, the effects of oxygen and nitrogen addition on mechanical properties and recrystallization texture of a metastable Ti–18Zr–3Nb–3Sn–2Mo alloy are investigated. Both oxygen and nitrogen additions increase the apparent yield stress and tensile strength. The N‐added alloy exhibits an exceptionally strong {110}<001> texture, commonly referred to as Goss texture, leading to a lower Young's modulus when compared with the O‐added alloy. It is found that the formation and subsequent dissolution of the α‐phase plays an important role in the development of recrystallization texture. The {110}<001> texture can be enhanced in the O‐added alloy by a two‐step heat treatment, the first step to form the α‐phase and the second step to dissolve the α‐phase during recrystallization. An excellent combination of a low Young's modulus and a high yield stress is achieved in the O‐added alloy subjected to the two‐step heat treatment.

Analysis of the slump test for on-site yield stress measurement of thickened tailings

Yield stress of thickened tailings is a basic parameter in the design of tailings pipeline transport and discharge systems. To accurately determine the yield stress of thickened tailings, it is essential to develop a rapid determination method suitable for engineering applications and explore the relationship among various factors. In this paper, a high-precision velocity-controlled slump test system was designed to investigate the effects of thickened tailings temperature, lifting speed, slump cylinder shape, and tailings slurry mass concentration on the slump value. The test results indicate that the slump value decreases with the increases in thickened tailings temperature, resulting in a higher yield stress. Lifting speed significantly affects the yield stress, a faster lifting speed produces a larger slump value, which in turn leads to a smaller calculated yield stress. The lifting speed of 0.01 m/s provides a yield stress calculation that is close to the actual value. Moreover, among the tested slump cylinder shapes, the results obtained from the cylinder with dimensions of 100 mm (height) × 100 mm (diameter) are the closest to the actual values. These findings offer technical support for rapid and accurate on-site testing of the rheological parameters of thickened tailings and provide theoretical support for developing disposal methods for tailings.

Effect of Tempering on Phase Transformations in Low-Alloy Steel with 1.6%Si

Low temperature tempering of a 0.53%C–1.6%Si–0.9%Mn–0.76%Cr–0.14%V–0.05%Nb steel provides combination of high yield stress σ0.2=1890 MPa with elongation-to-failure δ=6% and Charpy V-notch (CVN) impact energy of 11 J/cm2 due to precipitation of non-stoichiometric η-carbide Fe2C. Silicon suppresses precipitation of para-equilibrium cementite both from martensite and retained austenite. Orthoequilibrium cementite precipitate upon tempering at 500°С providing combination of σ0.2=1360 MPa with δ=9% and CVN impact energy of 18 J/cm2.

Creating High Yield Stress Particle-Laden Oil/Water Interfaces Using Charge Bidispersity.

Interfacial engineering has been increasingly used to stabilize Pickering emulsions in commercial products and biomedical applications. Pickering emulsion stabilization is aided by interfacial viscoelasticity; however, typically the primary means of stabilization are steric hindrances between high surface concentration shells of particles around the drops. In this work, the concept of creating large interfacial viscoelastic yield stresses with low particle surface concentrations (<50%) using bidisperse charged particle systems is tested to evaluate their potential efficacy in emulsion stabilization. To explore this hypothesis, interfacial rheology and visualization experiments are conducted at o/w interfaces using positively charged amidine, negatively charged carboxylate, and negatively charged sulfate-coated latex spheres and compared to a model based on interparticle forces. Bidisperse particle systems have been observed to create more networked structures than monodisperse systems. For surface concentrations of <50%, bidisperse interfaces created measurable viscoelastic moduli ∼1 order of magnitude larger than monodisperse interfaces. Furthermore, these interfaces have measurable yield stresses on the order of 10-4 Pa·m when monodisperse systems have none. Bidispersity impacts surface viscoelasticity primarily by increasing the overall magnitude of attraction between particles at the interface and not due to changes in the microstructure. The developed model predicts the relative surface fraction that creates the largest moduli and shows good agreement with the experimental data. The results demonstrate the ability to create large viscoelastic moduli for small surface fractions of particles, which may enable stabilization using fewer particles in future applications.

Genome-wide identification of kiwifruit K+ channel Shaker family members and their response to low-K+ stress

Background‘Hongyang’ kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis cv ‘Hongyang’) is a high-quality variety of A. chinensis with the advantages of high yield, early ripening, and high stress tolerance. Studies have confirmed that the Shaker K+ genes family is involved in plant uptake and distribution of potassium (K+).ResultsTwenty-eight Shaker genes were identified and analyzed from the ‘Hongyang’ kiwifruit (A. chinensis cv ‘Hongyang’) genome. Subcellular localization results showed that more than one-third of the AcShaker genes were on the cell membrane. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the AcShaker genes were divided into six subfamilies (I-VI). Conservative model, gene structure, and structural domain analyses showed that AcShaker genes of the same subfamily have similar sequence features and structure. The promoter cis-elements of the AcShaker genes were classified into hormone-associated cis-elements and environmentally stress-associated cis-elements. The results of chromosomal localization and duplicated gene analysis demonstrated that AcShaker genes were distributed on 18 chromosomes, and segmental duplication was the prime mode of gene duplication in the AcShaker family. GO enrichment analysis manifested that the ion-conducting pathway of the AcShaker family plays a crucial role in regulating plant growth and development and adversity stress. Compared with the transcriptome data of the control group, all AcShaker genes were expressed under low-K+stress, and the expression differences of three genes (AcShaker15, AcShaker17, and AcShaker22) were highly significant. The qRT-PCR results showed a high correlation with the transcriptome data, which indicated that these three differentially expressed genes could regulate low-K+ stress and reduce K+ damage in kiwifruit plants, thus improving the resistance to low-K+ stress. Comparison between the salt stress and control transcriptomic data revealed that the expression of AcShaker11 and AcShaker18 genes was significantly different and lower under salt stress, indicating that both genes could be involved in salt stress resistance in kiwifruit.ConclusionThe results showed that 28 AcShaker genes were identified and all expressed under low K+ stress, among which AcShaker22 was differentially and significantly upregulated. The AcShaker22 gene can be used as a candidate gene to cultivate new varieties of kiwifruit resistant to low K+ and provide a reference for exploring more properties and functions of the AcShaker genes.

Performance evaluation and physical simulation experiment of SiO2 nanoparticle synergistic crosslinked polymer system

Abstract As natural gas development gradually shifts from early to mid to late stages, water outflow from gas wells has become an inevitable problem. In this study, polyethyleneimine cross-linked polymers were synthesized and nano particles were introduced to obtain SiO2 nanoparticle synergistic cross-linked polymer systems. Rheological experiments show that the system has stronger shear resistance and higher yield stress, and the linear viscoelastic region has a stress amplitude less than 3.5Pa, exhibiting good elastic properties in the range of 0.01 to 10Hz. In terms of stability, after 45 days of aging, the viscosity retention rate of the system is 77.66%. When the mineralization degree is 224852mg/L, the viscosity retention rate is greater than 76.33%, indicating that the system has good aging stability and salt resistance.The physical simulation experiment of core displacement shows that SiO2 nanoparticle synergistic cross-linked polymer gel has gas-water selective plugging ability, and the reduction of water phase permeability is much greater than that of gas phase. The gas phase permeability can remains at about 75%, which is 2300 times that of water phase permeability, and has a good water plugging effect.

Twinning induced strain hardening and plasticity in a γ''-precipitated medium-entropy alloy with ultrahigh yield strength

Keeping adequate strain hardening to postpone plastic instability to a larger tensile strain is a stiff challenge in alloys with high yield strength. This study showed the feasibility of activating deformation twins (DTs) to ductilize an ultra-strong medium-entropy alloy (MEA) through microstructural design. High content (∼24 %) γ'' precipitates were introduced into a Ni49.9Fe33Cr10Nb4Ta3B0.1 (at.%) MEA to offer high yield stress. We found that increasing the γ'' precipitate size and spacing successfully activated DTs, contributing to a sustainable strain hardening of the alloy. Accordingly, an ultrahigh tensile yield stress (YS) of 1.55 GPa and ultimate tensile stress (UTS) of 1.7 GPa, along with a fracture elongation of 14.5 % were achieved in the MEA. We further demonstrated that compared to lowering the stacking-fault energy (SFE), increasing γ'' precipitate spacing significantly reduced the critical shear stress for triggering twinning partials in a nanoscale γ/γ'' system.

The Effect of High Hydrostatic Pressure (HHP) Induction Parameters on the Formation and Properties of Inulin-Soy Protein Hydrogels.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) induction parameters on the formation and properties of inulin-soy protein hydrogels. Solutions containing 20 g/100 g of inulin and 3 or 6 g/100 g of soy protein isolate (3 SPI; 6 SPI) were subjected to HHPs of 150, 300, or 500 MPa for 5, 10, or 20 min. The HHP parameters had no significant impact on the effectiveness of hydrogel formation. In most cases, the time of solution pressurization had no significant effect on the characteristics of hydrogels. However, increasing the induction pressure from 150 to 300 MPa resulted in hydrogels with different characteristics being obtained, e.g., more flattened microstructure; higher stability (only 3 SPI); higher yield stress, firmness, and adhesiveness; and lower spreadability. These changes were more noticeable in the hydrogels with lower protein content. An increase in the induction pressure (to 500 MPa) did not result in a significant strengthening of the hydrogel structure. However, in the case of 6 SPI hydrogels, induction with a pressure of 500 MPa had an unfavorable effect on their stability. The results indicate that HHP (300 MPa) can be used as an effective method for strengthening the structure of inulin-protein hydrogels.

Migration of particles suspended in yield stress fluids: Insights from numerical simulation of pipe flow of 3D printable concrete

In this work, we present a numerical model to analyse particle migration and its impact on local rheological properties when a high-yield stress suspension like 3D printable concrete is transported through a narrow circular pipe. The particle migration is studied through the lens of suspension rheology, where the effect of local particle concentration on rheological properties is accounted for using Krieger–Dougherty-type models. 3D printable mixtures with different aggregate-to-binder (a/b) ratios and flows at various discharge rates are evaluated. It is observed that, depending on the discharge rate and a/b ratio, the flow behaviour could deviate from that expected in a Poiseuille flow of Bingham fluid owing to shear-induced particle migration. Interestingly, as a consequence of particle migration, the formation of a local unsheared region close to the pipe wall is observed, apart from the plug zone at the pipe centre in the partially unsheared pipe flow of Bingham fluids. Often, for concrete pipe flow simulation, the particle size is not small enough to warrant local treatment since the finite size of the particle is not fully reflected in the flow domain. In this work, the developed numerical model is also extended to account for the finite particle size to study the transition between the sheared and unsheared regions and assess the effect of considering finite size in our simulation. Finally, the model’s capability to predict global pressure loss in pipe flow is assessed through comparisons with experimental results.

Swimming in viscoplastic fluids

Abstract Locomotion at small scales in the absence of inertia is a classical and enduring research topic. Here, recent developments in the theory of such locomotion through a viscoplastic ambient fluid are reviewed and explored. The specific focus here applies to motion of cylindrical filamentary bodies that are long and thin, for which an asymptotic slender-body theory can be exploited. Details of this theory are summarised and then applied to describe different swimming waveforms: undulation, peristalsis, and helical motion. It is shown that, in general, strong force anisotropy close to the limit of axial cylindrical motion has a significant effect on locomotion in viscoplastic media, allowing for highly efficient motion in which the swimmer is able to ‘cut’ through the material following very closely the path of its own axis. Some qualitative comparison with experiments is presented, and future extensions and research directions are reviewed. Graphical abstract Deformation fields around cylinders moving at different angles to their axis through a yield stress fluid, showing (a) a low yield stress and (b) a high yield stress

Oxidation and wear behaviors of MoNbTaW high entropy alloy fabricated via laser energy deposition at elevated temperature

The microstructure, mechanical properties at room temperature, oxidation, and wear behaviors of the MoNbTaW refractory high-entropy alloy (RHEA) at elevated temperatures are investigated. The as-deposited MoNbTaW RHEA maintains a single BCC structure and a dendritic morphology. Furthermore, it demonstrates a high yield stress of 1478 MPa and an ultimate yield stress of 1787 MPa at room temperature. The oxidation tests reveal that the oxidation rate constant initially decreases from 0.83 mg2 cm−4 h−1 to 0.78 mg2 cm−4 h−1, then increases to 12.43 mg2 cm−4 h−1 as the temperature rises from 500 °C to 800 °C. Additionally, a linear oxidation kinetic is observed at 500 and 600 °C, while at 800 °C, the parabolic oxidation kinetics is observed. The transition is linked to the development of a multilayer oxide layer structure and the formation of a thicker oxide scale. The results of wear tests at high-temperature show that the wear depth at 600 °C is about 24.886 μm, which is 3.9 times as much as 500 °C (6.437 μm). This indicates that the wear resistance is reduced at 600 °C. In addition, with the increase in temperature, the wear mechanism changes from adhesive wear to abrasive wear.

High-throughput strategy to design high entropy alloys with an FCC matrix, L12 precipitates, and optimized yield stress

This work proposes a methodology for designing high-strength precipitation-hardened high entropy alloys (HEAs) with an FCC matrix and L12 precipitates. High-throughput solidification calculations were conducted using the CALPHAD method, evaluating 11,235 alloys in the Cr-Co-Ni-Al-Ti system under specific boundary conditions. The acquired information was used to filter the alloys, focusing on alloys exhibiting an FCC+L12 phase field at 750 °C, a solidification interval narrower than 100 °C, and a solvus temperature under 1100 °C. The filtered alloys were analyzed to estimate their solid solution and precipitation hardening contributions to yield strength, with antiphase boundary energy (APB) assessed using two models. Three alloys were selected for testing the proposed strategy, including one with the highest yield stress and others for comparison. These alloys were produced, processed, and characterized using DSC, synchrotron XRD, SEM, and TEM. The results showed that the desired microstructure was achieved, with the alloys consisting of an FCC matrix and a high-volume fraction of L12 precipitates. Tensile tests at room temperature, 650 °C, 750 °C, and 850 °C demonstrated that the proposed model predicts well the yield strength trends, demonstrating the potential of the proposed approach for accelerating the discovery and development of novel HEAs with tailored properties.

Quantitative characterization of bubble stability of foam concrete throughout extrusion process: From yield stress, viscosity and surface tension point of view

Foam concrete (FC) is suitable to be used as printing ink for drones in extreme environment because of its light weight, it can reduce the load of drones and improve printing efficiency. Furthermore, since the FC density and thermal insulation performance can be flexibly changed by changing the bubble content, it can be used to print functional gradient components and special-shaped insulation walls. The stability of bubbles is crucial as it directly impacts the performance of 3D printed FC (3DPFC). Here, we examined the bubble destabilization and deformation of FC throughout the mixing process, resting period prior to extrusion, and extrusion process based on three parameters, i.e., yield stress, viscosity, and surface tension. The results indicate that increasing the yield stress from 1406 Pa to 13379 Pa of the precursor leads to a decrease in bubble volume fraction after mixing from 38.26 % to 27.24 %, while increasing viscosity from 2.16 Pa s to 6.65 Pa s and decreasing surface tension from 72.4 mN/m to 33.5 mN/m are favorable for improving the sphericity of bubbles with the diameter between 300 and 800 μm in FC. In the resting stage, the yield stress of the interstitial paste is the primary factor controlling bubble stability. When the initial yield stress of the equivalent interstitial paste is 5212 Pa, the bubble volume fraction decreases by only 0.8 % within 60 min. During extrusion, high yield stress leading to bubble deformation and instability, whereas viscosity and pore solution surface tension act as sources of bubble compression resistance. There exists a suitable diameter interval for bubble pressure-bearing limit under different paste environment during extrusion.

Improved mechanical properties and fiber dispersion of limestone calcined clay cement (LC³) mortars by adjusting the mixing methods

An emerging cement, limestone calcined clay cement (LC³), reduces CO2 emissions by using less clinker in manufacture, promoting sustainability. Compared with OPC, LC³ binders (with the same water-to-binder ratio) show reduced flowability, leading to poor fibre dispersion in the matrix. This paper attempts to improve the flowability by adding different amounts of superplasticizer and using an innovative two-phase water addition (TPWA) mixing approach. This method focuses on adjusting the amount of water addition in the first phase to improve the fibre distribution while maintaining the total water addition for all mixtures. Results show that modified mixing strategies improve the fresh and hardened characteristics of LC³ mortars. As the amount of water addition (in the first phase) decreases, the yield strength increases while the plastic viscosity of mortars decreases. The high yield stress is associated with high fibre segregation resistance during the compaction. The low plastic viscosity is related to high fibre mobilizability during mixing, preventing fibres from clustering. As a result, the humongous mixture and the best mechanical performance was achieved when 83 % of the total water was added in the first phase, with a w/b ratio of 0.35. For the mixture with a w/b ratio of 0.38, the best mechanical properties were obtained when 68 % of the total water was added in the first stage. The relationships between rheological properties, fibre dispersion and mechanical properties of LC³ systems are also established.

Filament formation mechanisms in yield-stress fluid-enabled embedded ink writing

Embedded ink writing (EIW), an emerging material extrusion-based three-dimensional (3D) printing strategy, has demonstrated great potential for diverse applications. EIW consists of three key components: support bath, ink, and printing conditions. Filament formation in EIW is significantly affected by the coupling effects of these components, which is still unclear. This work aims to fundamentally unveil the filament formation processes and mechanisms within support bath materials with various rheological properties. A broader range of path speed is utilized to ensure the formation of diverse representative filaments from low- and high-viscosity hydrogel inks. By varying the combination of support bath, ink, and printing conditions, ten types of filaments are observed during EIW and their formation mechanisms are explained in detail. Particularly, when designing a support bath for EIW, thixotropic time serves as the baseline to determine the functionality of the bath. A relatively long thixotropic time can facilitate the formation of well-defined filaments. In addition, the support bath’s yield stress decides the allowed maximum path speed. High yield stress is necessary if path speed is targeted in a higher range. Based on the experimental findings, a position-shape-size evaluation system is established and proposed for comprehensively evaluating printed filaments, which is helpful in filtering suitable filaments for EIW. Finally, complex 3D structures including a human nose and a human ear are printed at a high speed within the support bath with suitable rheological properties to bridge the gap between filament formation mechanisms and practical 3D printing applications.

Effects of silica fume/ultrafine fly ash on the rheology and hardening of alkali-activated slag-waste ceramic powder paste

Fast setting and high viscosity are the two main obstacles to obtain desired rheological properties of alkali-activated materials (AAMs). This work aims to remove these obstacles by using a simple yet effective approach via introducing ultra fines with different characteristics. Here in the systems of alkali-activated slag-waste ceramic powder, the mechanism behind the effect of various ultra fines on rheological and hardened properties is studied. Results show that the introduction of ultrafine fly ash (UFFA) is beneficial to maintain good rheological properties and control setting, yet adding silica fume (SF) harms fresh performance due to the extremely low liquid film thickness. By 1H NMR and interstitial solution analysis, the large water demand for wetting SF rather than its dissolution, has been demonstrated to cause the insufficient dissolution of slag, which leads to lower Al3+ and Ca2+ concentrations and less precipitation of early gels. However, once gels start to precipitate, shorter particle spacing favors the rapid formation of percolation network in SF-systems, thus resulting in higher yield stress, viscosity and setting rate, as well as a faster decrease in mobile water. Furthermore, the incorporation of 5 %-10 % UFFA provides superior fresh performance and hardened properties. The results and relevant mechanisms of this study are essential towards better development of high-performance AAMs.