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Neutron radiography of cement paste made with light and heavy water

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Abstract

This paper examines the impact of using heavy water (D2O, D = deuterium) in cementitious materials as an alternative to conventional water (light water) for improvement in neutron radiography (NR) of cementitious materials. Cement pastes with two different water-to-cement ratios were made using heavy and light water. The macroscopic cross sections of heavy water, light water and ordinary portland cement were measured. Isothermal calorimetry, porosity, and non-evaporable water content were measured. NR measurements were also performed. The measured macroscopic cross section of the cement paste samples compared well with predictions made using a composite model based on Beer’s law.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge support for this work from the pooled fund study (Project No. U1117C) managed by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, and from the National Science Foundation (Award No. 2129606). The authors would like to acknowlege Chunyu Qiao from DRP, a Twining Company who helped in the microscopic imaging. The contents of this paper reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the sponsors. These contents do not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neutron Radiography Reactor, Idaho National Laboratory, 1955 N Fremont Ave, Idaho Fall, ID, 83415, USA

    Margaret N. Goodwin

  2. School of Civil and Construction Engineering, Oregon State University, 1491 SW Campus Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    R. M. Ghantous & W. Jason Weiss

  3. School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Oregon State University, 101 Radiation Center, 7 Corvallis, Oregon, 97333, USA

    Margaret N. Goodwin, R. M. Ghantous & Steven R. Reese

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  1. Margaret N. Goodwin
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Correspondence to R. M. Ghantous.

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Goodwin, M.N., Ghantous, R.M., Weiss, W.J. et al. Neutron radiography of cement paste made with light and heavy water. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 331, 5113–5121 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-022-08493-w

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