Possibilities of the use of isoperibolic calorimetry for assessing the hydration behavior of cementitious systems

The possibilities of a new multicell isoperibolic-semiadiabatic calorimeter for the measurement of the hydration heat evolution of binders in pastes, mortars and concretes of different composition during setting and early hardening are presented. Up to 32 samples can be tested simultaneously. The measurements enable to study the influence of the main constituents as well as minor organic and inorganic additives on hydration, to estimate the start of setting and to calculate the partial heat of hydration during a given time of curing. Due to the simple construction, no special service is demanded. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.