Quantitative characterization of the early hydration of magnesium potassium phosphate cement: In-situ experiment with low field NMR

The in-situ characterization of the rapid early reaction of magnesium potassium phosphate cement (MKPC) via common methods is quite difficult. In this study, the low field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) method was used for in-situ monitoring the reaction degree of MgO in MKPC. The comparisons of the results with the reaction degree determined by XRD-Rietveld, BSE image analysis and TG analysis methods showed that LF-NMR is a correct and effective method for the rapid and accurate characterization of the reaction kinetics of MKPC. The in-situ kinetic data contributed to the simulation of the porosity development of MKPC, and a strong relationship between the calculated porosity and compressive strength was then established, which is expected to be used for further performance prediction.