• Macphee, Donald
• Duffy, John A.
• Herfort, Duncan

Abstract

In the increasingly competitive construction materials market, concrete aesthetics have become a significant factor. The architectural flexibility available through colour becomes attainable with the use of white cements which, when suitably treated to limit adhesion of dirt or biofilm growth, can, either by themselves, or when incorporating coloured pigments, provide durable aesthetics. A white concrete substrate offers wider colouring opportunities than conventional concretes so it is important that colouration inhibited. Usually during white cement manufacture it is the unavoidable presence of is iron that is responsible for the faint yellow colouration typically observed in white cements. The actual colour and its intensity depend on the amount and chemical condition of iron, that is, its oxidation state, stereochemistry, and the nature of next or near-next atoms. Here we consider these factors and how they can be interchanged or modified to improve the control of colour in cement making. <br/> <br/>

Topics

• impedance spectroscopy
• cement
• iron