Abstract
Synchrotron X-ray techniques have been extensively applied to characterise the mineralogy of anhydrous cementitious materials, the hydration processes and products in cementitious systems, and the alterations induced by different environmental exposure conditions. However, with changes in cement compositions and performance requirements, and an increased focus on materials design for sustainability, there is now strong emphasis on the use of advanced analytical tools to bring fundamentally based, multi-scale, multi-modal, spatially-resolved and/or time-resolved understanding of the physico-chemical factors influencing cementitious materials in the fluid, hardening and cured states. Beamline-based analysis complements conventional laboratory techniques, bringing unique capabilities to develop high-level insights. Here we provide a critical overview of the application of synchrotron radiation-based techniques to cementitious materials, and the opportunities and research needs to unlock their full potential for their use in future cement materials research, including issues related to handling and processing the very large datasets that can be generated.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 108150 |
| Journal | Cement and Concrete Research |
| Volume | 202 |
| Early online date | 27 Jan 2026 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 27 Jan 2026 |
Data Availability Statement
No data was used for the research described in the article.Funding
The authors are grateful to Rebecca Sanderson (UKNNL) for giving permission for the use of her data in Section 4.2, and to Brant Walkley (U. Sheffield) for his input into the collection and interpretation of those data. The authors would also like to express our gratitude to the many colleagues (in our research groups and at the facilities) who have collaborated and supported our beamline-based experiments in numerous synchrotrons worldwide, and whose input into scientific discussions over many years has provided much of the insight that we M.A.G. Aranda et al. Cement and Concrete Research 202 (2026) 108150 27 have attempted to distil into this paper. The participation of S.A. Bernal in this study was funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), grant EP/W021811/1. M.A.G. Aranda acknowledges partial funding by the European Union-ERC (acronym: syn4cem, grant agreement: 101139298). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Malaga/ CBUA.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council |
Keywords
- Diffraction
- Imaging
- Rietveld analysis
- Segmentation
- Spectroscopy
- Synchrotron radiation
- Tomography
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Building and Construction
- General Materials Science