Synthesis, performance and mechanism of shrinkage-reducing agents with water-reducing function for cement-based materials

Three shrinkage-reducing agents (SRAs) possessing a water-reducing capacity with different structures were synthesized by aqueous free radical copolymerization. Their structures were characterized by Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC), specific anion charge density, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) measurements. Their abilities to reduce surface tension and their adsorption and dispersing effectiveness in cement paste as well as their impacts on cement hydration and compressive strength, autogenous shrinkage, drying shrinkage, and pore structure of cement mortar were investigated. Results clearly showed that the three synthesized SRAs with a water-reducing function reduced the surface tension of pore solution, with the water-reducing SRA with butyl exerting the most significant effect due to its lower molecular mass. They enhanced the flowability of cement paste because of their adsorption on cement grains. The water-reducing SRA with dimethyl amino exhibited higher adsorption amounts on cement grains due to higher charge density, resulting in higher initial flowability of cement paste and more significant hydration retardation. Their presence decreased the autogenous shrinkage of cement mortar by reducing the surface tension of pore solution, delaying the cement hydration, and decreasing the capillary pore volume. Their addition also mitigated the drying shrinkage due to the synergistic effect of surface tension reduction, pore structure coarsening, and porosity (2.5–50 nm) reduction. Among the three, the water-reducing SRA with butyl demonstrated a higher capability of reducing the drying shrinkage and had a favorable effect on the compressive strength of mortar at later ages.