Study of the setting of Portland cement by an acoustic near field technique

The acoustic near field method consists in studying the alteration of the r esonance curve of a horn whose tip, the probe, is immersed in the sample. T he operating mode in a medium in which strong variations of the rheological properties take place, is modelled for two horn shapes, one with a conical probe, the second one with a stepped cylindrical probe. The experimental c urves obtained during the cement setting prove the validity of the simulati ons. The sensitivity of the horn to a given step of the setting is achieved by adjusting the probe shape.