Drop shape tensiometer for measurement of surface energies in cementitious materials

该设备将用于研究水泥材料凝固和硬化时发生的收缩现象的起源。在这种材料中，收缩引起重要的内应力，这可能导致微裂纹和过早劣化。因此，了解和控制控制水泥基材料收缩行为的基本过程是最重要的。为了实现这一目标，我们将进行选定的化学方法来改变水泥材料的多孔网络，并研究这些修改对1-材料的收缩行为随时间的变化和2-微观过程的过程中，有助于观察到的收缩的影响。我们的方法将主要集中在多孔基质中的界面现象的研究，对于这样的研究，所需的特定设备是必不可少的。

The equipment will be used to investigate the origin of shrinkage phenomena occurring in cementitious materials upon setting and hardening. In such materials, shrinkage induces important internal stresses, which can lead to micro-cracking and premature deterioration. It is thus most important to understand and control the fundamental processes, which govern the shrinkage behavior of cementitious materials. To achieve this goal, we will perform selected chemical approaches to alter the porous network of cementitious materials, and study the influence of these modifications on 1- the shrinkage behavior of the materials as function of time and 2- the course of microscopic processes contributing to the observed shrinkage. Our approach will focus largely on studies of interfacial phenomena in the porous matrices; for such studies, the specific equipment required is essential.