Synchrotron Study of Cement Hydration: Towards Computed Tomography Analysis of Interfacial Transition Zone

Abstract

The quality of bonding between cement and steel in wells is controlled by the interfacial transition zone (ITZ). Micro-computed X-ray tomography (μ-CT) imaging with synchrotron radiation was used in the current paper to study the development of ITZ at the early stages of hydration. The experiments have revealed that the width of the transition zone is around 20 μm, which is consistent with earlier reports. Unlike previously published studies, where the ITZ width was estimated with the naked eye, the ITZ in our study was identified using a quantitative procedure that made use of particle size analysis. This analysis revealed that the ITZ is depleted of large cement particles from the very beginning of hydration.