Time-dependent retardation effect of epoxy latexes on cement hydration: Experiments and multi-component hydration model

•The retardation effect of epoxy latexes on cement hydration is time-dependent.•Epoxy latexes slow heat-generation rate of cement hydration and suppresse heat-flow maxima.•Higher epoxy latex content leads to even slower cement hydration.•Multi-component hydration model is established for composite cementitious materials. The kinetics and thermodynamics of the retardation effect of epoxy latexes on cement hydration were investigated using isothermal calorimetry and in-situ x-ray diffraction. The experimental results showed that the retardation effect of epoxy latexes on cement hydration was time-dependent. When the epoxy latexes were added to cement pastes, heat-generation rate was slowed, the hydration induction and acceleration periods were delayed, and the heat-flow maxima were suppressed. The addition of epoxy latexes markedly retarded silicate and aluminate hydrations by retarding both the dissolution of cement clinker minerals and the precipitation of hydration products. Higher epoxy latex content led to even slower cement hydration. Based on these results, a multi-component hydration model for composite cementitious materials, considering the time-dependent retardation effect of epoxy latexes on cement hydration, was established. The numerical results showed that the model showed great potential to predict the kinetics and thermodynamics of cement hydration with different epoxy latex contents, and provided more details about the phase evolution of the clinker minerals during cement hydration.