NMR Relaxation Study of Adsorbed Water in Cement and C3S Pastes

The deuteron and proton spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation times T1 and T2 of adsorbed water in commercial portland cement and tricalcium silicate pastes were studied as functions of the hardening time at room temperature. The time dependence of the water self-diffusion coefficient of tricalcium silicate pastes was also followed. The proton and the deuteron T1 and T2 decrease markedly as hydration increases and the pastes harden due to the increase in the active surface and the number of adsorptive sites, thus providing convenient tools for studying the nature of the hydration process.