Effect of sucrose on retardation of Portland cement

Abstract

Early-stage reactions of Portland cement are markedly influenced by the presence of sucrose. Compositional variations in the aqueous phase are presented with some accompanying microstructural and physical data for sucrose concentrations ranging from 0·1% to 2·0% by weight of cement. Approximately 50–80% of the sucrose was consumed in the initial 30 min of hydration and is assumed to be incorporated into a gel-like reaction product. Aqueous-phase analysis suggests the gel-like material to be a calcium aluminosulphate probably incorporating silicate ions. Increased addition of sucrose significantly modified the reaction, as did delayed addition.