Effect of nanofibrillar cellulose on the cement paste setting kinetics

Introduction. The study addresses the effect of nanofibrillar cellulose (NFC) on the setting process of cement paste during the first hours of gauging. A brief justification of the research topic relevance is given. It has been noted that the modification of cement materials by nanoscale additives has sparked significant scientific and practical interest in recent years. NFC has emerged as one such additive, and the potential impacts of its incorporation into cement systems are currently under active investigation. The study aims at investigating the effect of NFC on the cement paste setting kinetics during the first hours of gauging. Materials and methods. We present the materials used in the research and their characteristics, in particular, two types of cement characterized by the presence or absence of false setting, as well as cement paste compositions with different NFC consumption (from 0 to 0.24% of dry matter by weight of cement). The technique of measuring conditional viscosity in time with a laboratory rheometer and a special measuring system is described. Results. The results of cement paste tests are presented in the form of setting process diagrams. Discussion. The results obtained and experimental data are given. The complex character of NFC influence on the cement paste setting kinetics has been noted, which depends on the cement quality and additive consumption. For cement without signs of false setting, a decrease in setting onset time was observed when increasing the NFC content. Conversely, increase in the amount of NFC leads to an increase in the setting onset time for cements with signs of false setting. Conclusion. NFC has a noticeable effect on cement paste setting kinetics in the first 3 hours: it accelerates the process when using cement without false setting and slows down the setting when using cement with false setting.