Effect of admixtures such as black gram pulse (BGP) and sulfonated naphthalene based superplasticizer (SP) on the hydration of Portland cement has been studied. The hydration characteristics of OPC in the presence of BGP and SP were studied with the help of non evaporable water content determinations, calorimetric method, Mössbauer spectroscopic and atomic force microscopic techniques. Results have shown that both BGP and SP get adsorbed at the surface of cement and its hydration products. The hydration of Portland cement is retarded in the presence of both the admixtures and nanosize hydration products are formed.
Mössbauer spectroscopy; black gram pulse; superplasticizer; nano size
