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Title: Observing the setting and hardening of cementitious materials by X-ray dark-field radiography

Journal Article · · Cement and Concrete Research
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [1]
  1. Lehrstuhl für Biomedizinische Physik, Physik-Department and Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching (Germany)
  2. Lehrstuhl für Zerstörungsfreie Prüfung, Centrum Baustoffe und Materialprufung, Technische Universität München, 81245 München (Germany)

Novel X-ray imaging methods expand conventional attenuation-based X-ray radiography by the phase- and the dark-field contrasts. While weakly absorbing structures in the specimen can be better visualized in phase contrast, the dark-field contrast provides information about morphological sub-pixel microstructures. Here we report an application of dark-field X-ray radiography for imaging the time-resolved setting process in fresh cement. Our results demonstrate that the microstructural changes within the cement result in a decreasing dark-field signal. We quantify this imaging signal with a time-dependent dark-field scatter coefficient and show its good correlation with the compressional wave velocity. We further present images based on a pixel-wise analysis of the scattering signal and a corresponding logistic fit. These images emphasize the benefit of dark-field imaging of cementitious materials as it provides two dimensional spatial information on the processes within the sample while other established testing techniques only provide information on the bulk average.

OSTI ID:
22475515
Journal Information:
Cement and Concrete Research, Vol. 74; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2015 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0008-8846
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English