Water environment and nanostructural network in a reactive powder concrete

A Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC) with an average compressive strength of 230 MPa was studied by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transformed spectroscopy (DRIFTS), controlled rate thermal analysis (CRTA) and low temperature nitrogen adsorption-desorption volumetry. Different water environments are observed by DRIFTS. The CRTA experiments coupled to mass spectrometric analyses allow us to differentiate various gases corresponding to adsorbed molecules and to the pyrolysis of different species. In particular the organic species added during processing can be observed. Adsorption experiments reveal a low specific surface area showing an intimate reaction between the starting components during processing. Furthermore, they show that the RPC can be considered as an open network of pores of various diameters.