Electrical Current Flow and Cement Hydration

Electrical Current Flow and Cement Hydration: Implications on Cement-Based Microstructure

Susanto, A. (TU Delft Materials and Environment)
Peng, G (TU Delft Materials and Environment)
Koleva, D.A. (TU Delft Materials and Environment)
van Breugel, K. (TU Delft Materials and Environment)

2017-05

Stray current is an electrical current “leakage” from metal conductors and electrical installations. When it flows through cement-based materials, electrical energy is converted to thermal energy that causes increasing temperature due to Joule heating phenomena. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the influence of electrical current flow on cement hydration, thermal properties and pore structure changes of cement-based materials. Calorimetry tests show that degree of cement hydration increases as a results of temperature increase due to electrical current flow through cement-based materials. To evaluate the influence of electrical current on the thermal properties of cement paste, the specific heat of cement paste was calculated based on the degree of cement hydration and temperature development during the hydration process. MIP tests were carried out to quantify changes in the pore structure due to electrical current flow. The results shows that if no other factors are present, leaching is avoided and for relatively early cement hydration age, the electrical current flow accelerates cement hydration, leading to an initial decrease in porosity of the cement paste.

cement hydration
stray current
microstructure
temperature
Joule heating

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:e255bf9e-7bdd-40b2-87cb-d0493cceaa9f

2017-05-12

2319-6009

International Journal of Structural and Civil Engineering Research, 6 (2), 1-8

2nd International Conference on Architecture, Materials and Construction, 2016-12-03 → 2016-12-05, Flora Grand hotel, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2017 A. Susanto, G Peng, D.A. Koleva, K. van Breugel