Rheological Properties of Cement Paste with Nano-Fe3O4 under Magnetic Field: Flow Curve and Nanoparticle Agglomeration.

Understanding the influence of magnetic fields on the rheological behavior of flowing cement paste is of great importance to achieve active rheology control during concrete pumping. In this study, the rheological properties of cementitious paste with water-to-cement (w/c) ratio of 0.4 and nano-Fe3O4 content of 3% are first measured under magnetic field. Experimental results show that the shear stress of the cementitious paste under an external magnetic field of 0.5 T is lower than that obtained without magnetic field. After the rheological test, obvious nanoparticle agglomeration and bleeding are observed on the interface between the cementitious paste and the upper rotating plate, and results indicate that this behavior is induced by the high magnetic field strength and high-rate shearing. Subsequently, the hypothesis about the underlying mechanisms of nanoparticles migration in cementitious paste is illustrated. The distribution of the nanoparticles in the cementitious paste between parallel plates is examined by the magnetic properties of the powder as determined by a vibrating sample magnetometer. It is revealed that the magnetization of cementitious powders at different sections and layers provides a solid verification of the hypothesis.