Influence of high mixing intensity on rheology, hydration, and microstructure of fresh state cement paste

From both the fundamental and applied points of view, there is a growing interest in characterizing the rheological properties of concentrated suspensions, such as cement paste. When a cement paste is sheared, its intrinsic network structure will respond to the shear induced stresses. The influence of mixing intensity on the rheological properties of fresh state cement paste is studied. The results showed that contrary to what is popularly believed, when subjected to a high mixing intensity, the rheological properties of cement paste can increase once a certain threshold mixing intensity is achieved. This increase in rheological properties was associated with changes in the chemical nature and physical nature of the cement pastes. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.