Thermal management and retardation kinetics of cementitious systems modified with styrene-acrylate polymer additives

Early-age thermal cracking in mass concrete, caused by uncontrolled exothermic cement hydration, poses a major durability challenge, escalating maintenance costs and energy demands in urban infrastructure. This study investigates styrene-acrylate emulsion (SAE) as a thermal-regulating admixture to mitigate this issue. Methods include isothermal calorimetry for heat evolution analysis, a novel Avrami-based kinetic model incorporating a polymer retardation coefficient, and heat transport simulations to predict temperature profiles. Key results show that the optimal SAE-3 dosage (0.8 % polymer-to-cement ratio) reduces cumulative heat release by 55.2 %, peak heat flow by 46.4 %, and retards the main hydration peak by 30 min, while increasing specific heat capacity by up to 0.700 J/g·°C and decreasing thermal conductivity by 33.3 %. These findings conclude that SAE effectively buffers heat, flattens exothermic profiles, and enhances insulation, reducing cracking risks without sacrificing mechanical integrity. The novelty lies in the first integrated kinetic-thermal modeling framework for SAE, validated with high fidelity (R² > 0.99), surpassing prior literature focused on mechanical enhancements by providing predictive tools for sustainable mass concrete design.