Measurement of a Cement Admixture by a TOC Solid Sample Measurement System

Introduction

Cement is used for concrete and other construction materials, which have been used for a variety of applications since ancient times. Many varieties are used, with different qualities and properties, depending on their function. To modify and improve the performance of concrete, water reducing agents, water proofing agents and other admixtures are added to cement. Accordingly, to confirm the strength and properties of existing building structures, it is important to assess the amount of cement admixtures included in the concrete. As an analysis method for organic admixtures, concrete is pulverized and extracted by boiling, and the filtrate is measured for COD and TOC. However, depending on the type of admixture, the extraction efficiency may be biased, and the concentration may be low, resulting in poor measurement accuracy. Using the Shimadzu TOC solid sample measurement system, the pulverized concrete can be directly loaded into the instrument to measure the amount of organic carbon. As a result, measurement process and time are reduced, and the impact of variance in the measurement values due to extraction can be reduced. This document introduces an example of the measurement of a cement admixture in pulverized concrete using the TOC solid sample combustion system, which combines the TOC-L total organic carbon analyzer with the SSM-5000A solid sample combustion unit.

March 25, 2016 GMT