Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Vol.89, No.2, 627-632, 2006
Limited-dose electron microscopy reveals the crystallinity of fibrous C-S-H phases
Using electron diffraction, we demonstrate that the fibrous calcium-silicate-hydrates (C-S-H) of tricalciumsilicate (C3S) hydration possess a crystalline structure. The crystalline nature was revealed by limiting the electron dose, which is common in electron microscopy of biomacromolecules. Compared with room temperature, the fading of the electron diffraction patterns at -175 degrees C occurs at an electron dose that is about one order of magnitude higher. A combination of low-dose and cryo-protection methods offers the possibility to investigate the structures of water-containing cement phases by high-resolution electron microscopy in a close-to-native state.