A comparison of laboratory, synchrotron and neutron diffraction for the real time study of cement hydration

The use of real time powder diffraction for the study of cement hydration is presented. Three techniques are described: laboratory X-ray diffraction with a linear position sensitive detector, neutron diffraction with a curved position sensitive detector and energy-dispersive powder diffraction with a synchrotron source of X-rays. Data collected during the hydration of a triclinic form of tricalcium silicate are used to illustrate the methods of data capture and analysis for each of the three techniques. The rate of tricalcium silicate depletion is presented for each case and an attempt at a quantitative comparison of the three techniques is made.