Polysaccharides modify the rheological properties of cement based systems. Depending upon their chemistry, molecular architecture, and adsorption tendency, they have different modes of action. Some polysaccharides like diutan gum have strong effect on the fluid phase; others like starch strongly interact with particles. This paper presents effects of diutan gum and starches in presence of polycarboxylates. Rheometric investigations with varied particle volume fractions and increasing coarse aggregate diameters were conducted. The results show that starches have stronger influence on the rheology at high particle volume fractions than diutan gum. At lower particle volume fractions this trend is inverted. Experiments with aggregates sizes up to 16 mm (0.63 in.) indicate that stabilizing agent influences on the effects of aggregates on yield stress were small; however up to 1.0 mm (0.04 in.), a significant effect on the plastic viscosity could be observed, which levelled off at larger diameters.
African cement inffastructure is quite complex. Apart from Northern Africa and South Africa in particular, cement plants are scarce resulting in highly unstable cement pricing. Clinker and cement are imported from overseas, e.g. from Portugal, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, and China. Imports are typically determined by the lowest price, and as a result the countries of origin of products vaiy regularly yielding large scatter of properties. Quality control and a good quality infrastructure are thus of utmost importance for the safety of the popuiace, an issue, which is actually often neglected. With funding of the German Metrology Institute (PTB) and Support of the SPIN project, a proficiency testing scheme for cement testing according to EN 196 was set up for African laboratories. Proficiency testing schemes, also called round robins. are interlaboratory performance comparisons allowing participants to evaluate themselves against pre-established criteria. Thev are a powerful tool to help laboratories improve their performance as well as demonstrate their competences to accreditation bodies or Customers. 26 laboratories from 20 nations, 18 of which from Africa, participated. The BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing acted as coordinator and provider of the scheme. The aim of the round robin was to interpret the submitted data further beyond the pure statistic analyses. The data provided a positive picture of the performance of the participants in general, but it also exhibited a number of technical fields that need improvement. The paper provides the general results of the scheme and analyses identified strengths and weak points based on the submitted and non submitted data as well as on discrepancies from the EN 196 procedures during measurements. The application of EN Standards for material testing is critically discussed and since quality infrastructure is also always an issue between industrial and political stakeholders, suggestions for the mitigation of the identified shared problems are given.
Influence of the type of viscosity-modifying admixtures and metakaolin on the rheology of grouts
(2013)
The Viscosity-modifying admixtures (VMAs) contribute to the control of the rheology of grouts and are used to enhance plastic viscosity, cohesion, stability, and resistance to bleeding of cement-based systems. This paper reports the results of an investigation on the effect of type of VMAs, namely two types of diutan gums and a welan gum and metakaolin (MTK), plus a superplasticiser, on the rheology behaviour of cement grouts. All mixes were made with polycarboxylic superplasticiser at 0.6% and 0.9%. The dosages of VMAs were 0.05%, and 0.10%, with a fixed water-to-binder ratio of 0.40. The investigated fresh properties of the grouts included the mini-slump flow, plate cohesion, and rheology parameters: namely yield value and plastic viscosity. The rheological parameters were obtained using a vane viscometer. Control grouts (with and without superplasticiser and VMA) were also tested and compared to mixes containing VMAs. The results indicated that the incorporation of MTK reduced the fluidity and increased the plate cohesion and yield stress, and plastic viscosity due to the higher surface area of MTK. The diutan gum grouts improved the grout fresh properties and rheology compared to the welan gum grouts.
Polysaccharides provide high potential to be used as rheology modifying admixtures in mineral binder systems for the construction industry such as concrete or mortar. Since superplasticizers have become state of technology, today, concrete is more and more adjusted to flowable consistencies. This often goes along with the risk of segregation, which can be effectively avoided by adding stabilising agents supplementary to superplasticizers. Stabilising agents are typically based on polysaccharides such as cellulose, sphingan gum, or starch. Starch clearly distinguishes in its effect on rheology from other polysaccharides, mainly due to the strong influence of amylopectin on the dispersion and stabilisation of particles. Based on rheometric investigations on cementitious and limestone based dispersions with different volumetric water to solid ratios, the mode of operation of modified potato starch is explained in comparison to a sphingan gum. It is shown that the stabilising effect of starch in a coarsely dispersed system is mainly depending upon the water to solid ratio and that above a certain particle volume threshold starch mainly affects the dynamic yield stress of dispersions, while plastic viscosity is affected only to a minor degree. Sphingans operate more independent of the particle volume in a coarsely dispersed system and show significantly higher effect on the plastic viscosity than on the yield stress. In systems incorporating superplasticizers, influences of both stabilising agents on yield stress retreat into the background, while both observed polysaccharides maintain their effect on the plastic viscosity.