Images of cement, clinker and concrete - optical microscopy and SEM

Images on this page only may be downloaded and used freely, for non-commerical purposes only.

Key to optical microscope images, HF-etched sections: alite - brown; belite - blue; aluminate - darker interstitial; ferrite - lighter interstitial; epoxy resin, dark grey.

Key to backscattered SEM images: alite - light grey; belite -dark grey, rounded; ferrite-bright, aluminate - dark material, often between ferrite laths. Free lime - bright, rounded eg: bottom left in 'Clinker 3'; black areas are epoxy resin.

Portland cement clinker, polished section, HF-etched.

SEM clinker 1, polished section.

SEM clinker 2, polished section.

SEM clinker 3, polished section.