Organic-Acid-Modified and PCE-Hybrid Grinding Aids in Slag-Blended Cements: Linking Particle Size Distribution to Hydration and Strength
- 1Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Bursa Uludag University, Bursa 16059, Turkey
- 2Construction Chemistry, Institute for Advanced PCE Studies, Technical University of Munich, 80333 Garching, Germany
- 3Materials Technologies and 3D Concrete Printing R&D Laboratory, Bursa Uludag University, Bursa 16059, Turkey
Abstract
Reducing clinker content while maintaining the performance of slag-blended cement requires grinding-aid strategies that improve grinding efficiency and support subsequent hydration. In this study, commercial triisopropanolamine (TIPA), diethanolisopropanolamine (DEIPA), and diethylene glycol (DEG), their organic-acid-modified derivatives, and their hybrids with a polycarboxylate ether (PCE)-based grinding aid were evaluated at 0.05% in cement systems containing two granulated blast-furnace slags (BFSs) with different physical and chemical characteristics. Particle-size distribution, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, zeta potential, PCE adsorption, and compressive strength tests were used to investigate the relationships between grinding-aid chemistry, particle characteristics, hydration, and mechanical performance. Similar Blaine fineness values did not necessarily yield comparable particle-size distributions or hydration responses, indicating that Blaine fineness alone is insufficient to assess the effectiveness of grinding aids in BFS-blended cement. Organic-acid modification was generally more effective than PCE hybridization, depending on the original grinding-aid chemistry. M-TIPA promoted the strongest hydration development and the highest 28- and 56-day strengths at all BFS replacement levels. At 30% replacement, M-TIPA mixtures with BFS 1 and BFS 2 reached 28-day strengths of 45.82 and 46.55 MPa and 56-day strengths of 52.69 and 54.13 MPa, respectively, exceeding the clinker-only control. At 45% replacement, modified alkanolamines reduced, but did not eliminate, strength loss, whereas clinker dilution dominated at 60%. Overall, grinding-aid selection should consider particle-size distribution, hydration, BFS characteristics, and replacement level, rather than relying on Blaine fineness alone, and should also account for additive chemistry and the potential influence of polymer-containing formulations on the interfacial properties of ground cement particles.
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BibTeX
@article{kobya2026organicacidmodified,
title = {{Organic-Acid-Modified and PCE-Hybrid Grinding Aids in Slag-Blended Cements: Linking Particle Size Distribution to Hydration and Strength}},
author = {Veysel Kobya and Yahya Kaya and Ali Mardani},
journal = {Polymers},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/polym18212674},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/21/2674},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Organic-Acid-Modified and PCE-Hybrid Grinding Aids in Slag-Blended Cements: Linking Particle Size Distribution to Hydration and Strength
AU - Veysel Kobya
AU - Yahya Kaya
AU - Ali Mardani
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - Polymers
DO - 10.3390/polym18212674
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/21/2674
AB - Reducing clinker content while maintaining the performance of slag-blended cement requires grinding-aid strategies that improve grinding efficiency and support subsequent hydration. In this study, commercial triisopropanolamine (TIPA), diethanolisopropanolamine (DEIPA), and diethylene glycol (DEG), their organic-acid-modified derivatives, and their hybrids with a polycarboxylate ether (PCE)-based grinding aid were evaluated at 0.05% in cement systems containing two granulated blast-furnace slags (BFSs) with different physical and chemical characteristics. Particle-size distribution, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, zeta potential, PCE adsorption, and compressive strength tests were used to investigate the relationships between grinding-aid chemistry, particle characteristics, hydration, and mechanical performance. Similar Blaine fineness values did not necessarily yield comparable particle-size distributions or hydration responses, indicating that Blaine fineness alone is insufficient to assess the effectiveness of grinding aids in BFS-blended cement. Organic-acid modification was generally more effective than PCE hybridization, depending on the original grinding-aid chemistry. M-TIPA promoted the strongest hydration development and the highest 28- and 56-day strengths at all BFS replacement levels. At 30% replacement, M-TIPA mixtures with BFS 1 and BFS 2 reached 28-day strengths of 45.82 and 46.55 MPa and 56-day strengths of 52.69 and 54.13 MPa, respectively, exceeding the clinker-only control. At 45% replacement, modified alkanolamines reduced, but did not eliminate, strength loss, whereas clinker dilution dominated at 60%. Overall, grinding-aid selection should consider particle-size distribution, hydration, BFS characteristics, and replacement level, rather than relying on Blaine fineness alone, and should also account for additive chemistry and the potential influence of polymer-containing formulations on the interfacial properties of ground cement particles.
SN - 2073-4360
ER -