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Using X-ray fluorescence to assess the chemical composition and resistivity of simulated cementitious pore solutions

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Abstract

Ionic transport in concrete can be described using the formation factor, which is the ratio of the resistivity of the concrete and the pore solution resistivity. The pore solution resistivity may be assumed, directly measured, or computed from the pore solution composition. This paper describes an experimental investigation aimed at determining the feasibility of using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to obtain the alkali concentrations of the pore solution which enable the calculation of pore solution resistivity. In order to do this, simulated pore solutions containing known amounts of sodium and potassium were prepared and analyzed using XRF. XRF was performed on two sample types: (1) the simulated solutions and (2) beads where the water from the solution is evaporated and the remaining material is fused using a fluxing agent. The compositions obtained experimentally from XRF are compared to known compositions to demonstrate the accuracy of the technique. In addition, the measured simulated pore solution resistivity was compared to the simulated pore solution resistivity calculated from XRF measurements. The results indicate that the composition had an average error of 0.50% while the estimated simulated pore solution resistivity had an average error of 10.95%. The results of this study indicate that XRF has the potential to be an alternative to the time consuming methods currently used to measure the composition of the pore solution.

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Notes

  1. K-alpha is the emission line due to an electron transition from the L-shell to the K-shell; considered the strongest energy spectral line. K-beta is the emission line due to an electron transition from the M-shell to the K-shell.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge partial financial support from the Kiewit Transportation Institute and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) through DTFH61-12-H-00010. The authors appreciate the assistance of Stephen Williams and Terry Suscavage from PANalytical for their aid in setting up the XRF system. The authors also acknowledge the laboratory work performed by undergraduate research assistants Nathalene Then and Naomi Salgado. All of the laboratory work presented herein was performed at the Kiewit Transportation Institute at Oregon State University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Civil and Construction Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97330, USA

    Marisol Tsui Chang, Prannoy Suraneni, O. Burkan Isgor, David Trejo & W. Jason Weiss

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  1. Marisol Tsui Chang
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  2. Prannoy Suraneni
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Correspondence to W. Jason Weiss.

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Chang, M.T., Suraneni, P., Isgor, O.B. et al. Using X-ray fluorescence to assess the chemical composition and resistivity of simulated cementitious pore solutions. Int J Adv Eng Sci Appl Math 9, 136–143 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12572-017-0181-x

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