Mechanisms and kinetics of C-S-H nucleation approaching the spinodal line: Insights into the role of organics additives

Wet chemistry C-S-H precipitation experiments were performed under controlled conditions of solution supersaturation in the presence and absence gluconate three hexitol molecules. Characterization precipitates with SAXS cryo-TEM confirmed a multi-step nucleation pathway. Induction times for formation amorphous spheroids determined from light transmittance. Analysis those data classical theory revealed significant increase kinetic prefactor same order as complexation constants calcium silicate each organics. Finally, two distinct regimes precursor identified: i) regime at low saturation indexes (SI) ii) spinodal high SI where free energy barrier to phase transition is found be or less.