In Situ Bragg Coherent Diffraction Imaging Study of a Cement Phase Microcrystal during Hydration

Results of Bragg coherent diffraction imaging (BCDI) confirm that ion migration and consumption occur during hydration of calcium monoaluminate (CA). The chemical phase transformation promotes the hydration process and the formation of new hydrates. There is a potential for the formation of hydrates near where the active ions accumulate. BCDI has been used to study the in situ hydration process of CA over a 3 day period. The evolution of three-dimensional (3D) Bragg diffraction electron density, the “Bragg density”, and strain fields present on the nanoscale within the crystal was measured and visualized. Initial Bragg densities and strains in CA crystal derived from sintering evolve into various degrees during hydration. The variation of Bragg density within the crystal is attributed to the change of the degree of crystal ordering, which could occur through ion transfer during hydration. The observed strain, coming from the interfacial mismatch effect between high Bragg density and low Bragg density parts in the crystal, remained throughout the experiment. The first Bragg density change during the hydration process is due to a big loss of Bragg density as seen in the image amplitude but not its phase. This work provides new evidence supporting the through-solution reaction mechanism of CA