Effect of CO₂ laser radiation on the mechanical properties of Portland cement pastes

This article presents the results of the treatment of fresh cement pastes with CO₂ laser radiation (10.6 μm), in order to improve its mechanical properties in addition to obtaining lower setting times than those of a natural setting (without radiation.) It was observed that the CO₂ laser radiation has a positive influence on the mechanical properties of cement paste, not due to the heat produced during irradiation, but due to the effect of electric field propagation on water molecules, whose are arranged around functional groups of the binder and by the effect of ration, causes a micro vibration effect, resulting in a more compact and less porous paste which has better mechanical properties compared to natural setting paste. The internal and surface temperature of the samples, the evolution of setting, Young's modulus (using ultrasonic pulse velocity) and compressive strength were registered.