Hydration of cement - Terms

-Hydration of cement involves two stages : setting and hardening
-Setting

• When cement paste chenges from fluids state to solid state
• Cement becomes stiff ( stiffening process )
• Process control by the quantitty of gypsum present in cement

Initial set - Foramtio of a gel ( plastic ) around cement particle and in contact with other to loose its fluidity , occurs after 1 hour .

Final set - Formation of riged gel , within 10 hours

• Further setting ( stiffening occurs until increment of volume of gel has completed ) and just before hardening is known as the final test .