Cement is basically calcium silicate, and tetrahedron (silicon atom is SP3 hybrid, located in the main center of tetrahedron, and oxygen atom is located in four corners of tetrahedron) is the basic construction unit. There is no need for heat or pressure to realize cement-based composites. This is why concrete processing can be carried out on site (such as road construction) rather than in the factory. The process involves mixing the cement particles with water so that they react. This kind of reaction is exothermic reaction (i.e. releasing heat in the reaction process), which is called hydration reaction. Here, water enters the cement crystal to form a hydrate gel, especially calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H for short, the average chemical formula is 3CaO 2sio23h2o). Due in part to the different volume of reaction products and raw materials, shrinkage (usually called dry shrinkage) is accompanied by hydration. In order to ensure that there is enough water for hydration, the reaction is usually carried out in a humidity chamber with high relative humidity (close to 100%). During the first 24 hours of the reaction, the original flowing cement gradually becomes a rigid material, so it can be removed if necessary. This part of the hardening process is called solidification. However, due to the incomplete hydration of the fixed material, the strength did not reach the expected high level. As a result, treatment is required weeks after coagulation (usually in a laboratory study for 28 days). In the curing process, the material is exposed to the humid environment for a long time, so as to make the hydration reaction enter the state of near completion. Five kinds of Portland cement have been standardized by American Society for testing and materials. They are common (type I, the most commonly used type), modified (type II), high early strength (type III), low heat (type I V) and sulfate resistant (type V). The effective use of discontinuous fibers in concrete requires the dispersion of fibers in the mixture. Dispersion is particularly challenging when the fiber diameter is small, such as 10 meters. The dispersion of fiber increases with the decrease of fiber length. When the cement content is 15%, silica fume (a kind of fine particle) can be used as a mixture to enhance the dispersion of fiber. Silica fume is usually used with a small amount of methylcellulose, a water-soluble polymer, to help the dispersion of the fibers and the workability of the mixture. Latex (usually a copolymer of styrene and butadiene, used in the form of particle dispersion, usually used for 15-20% cement quality) is far less effective in assisting fiber dispersion than silica fume.
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