Abstract
Hydration of ordinary Portland cement in the presence of two different types of superplasticizers namely sodium lignosulfonate (LS) and naphthalene sulfonate-formaldehyde condensate (NSF) was studied using different experimental techniques. Superplasticized ordinary Portland cement pastes were prepared using the values of standard water of consistency with different additions of each types of superplasticizers used. Pastes were hydrated for different time intervals under normal curing conditions. The results reveal that both of superplasticizers increase the workability and reduce the standard water of consistency. This results in an improvement in the mechanical properties of superplasticized cement pastes at all ages of the hydration-hardening process. Naphthalene sulfonate-formaldehyde condensate was found to has the higher efficiency in improving the mechanical properties of the hardened pastes than that of sodium lignosulfonate superplasticizer. (C) 2011 Cairo University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.