Emaldi, IñakiErkizia, EdurneLeiza, Jose RamonDolado, Jorge S.2024-07-242024-07-242023-04Emaldi , I , Erkizia , E , Leiza , J R & Dolado , J S 2023 , ' Understanding the effect of MPEG-PCE's microstructure on the adsorption and hydration of OPC ' , Journal of the American Ceramic Society , vol. 106 , no. 4 , pp. 2567-2579 . https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.189120002-7820https://hdl.handle.net/11556/4548Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The American Ceramic Society.Polycarboxylic ethers or polycarboxylate (PCEs) are one of the most employed superplasticizers in construction. However, the understanding of their microstructure–property relationship is still incomplete. Recently, a theoretical model was proposed that relates the microstructure–conformation of the PCE to its effect on the adsorption onto cement particles and cement hydration time. In this work, the effects of a wide range of PCEs with different side chain lengths (P = 5, Group 1; P = 20, Group 2; and P = 45 and 113, Group 3) having flexible backbone worm conformation except one which has stretch backbone worm conformation (P = 113) were experimentally investigated for their effect on adsorption and cement hydration. It is found that PCEs from Group 1 show electrostatic repulsion as dispersing mechanism, unlike PCEs from Groups 2 and 3. Furthermore, the prediction of the theoretical model is also assessed for all the studied PCEs. Only Group 1 PCEs (shortest side chains) showed deviation from the theoretical predictions, and it was attributed to their different behaviors from the standard PCEs for which the theoretical model was developed.13enginfo:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccessjournal article10.1111/jace.18912adsorptioncement hydrationcementitious materialsmicrostructureMPEG-type PCECeramics and CompositesMaterials Chemistryhttp://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85145157951&partnerID=8YFLogxK