Microstructure Evolution of Cement Paste Based on a Continuous Hydration Model for Irregular Polyhedral Particles

Hydration is a critical process in cement-based materials. The microstructure and macroscopic properties of cementitious composites are determined by a number of intricate chemical interactions. Previous studies on cement hydration have primarily focused on spherical and regular polyhedral particles. However, cement particles exhibit asymmetrical geometries. Therefore, this study develops a method to construct irregular polyhedral particles. A continuum-based hydration model of non-spherical cement particles (HYD-NSP), from our previous study, was employed to predict the evolution of microstructure of cement paste with irregular polyhedral particles. The results revealed that irregular polyhedral particles, with higher specific surface areas than spherical or regular polyhedral ones, significantly enhanced the degree of hydration and reduce the porosity in cement paste.