Full professor (2020/12-present), Institute of Building Materials, Department of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University.
Associate professor (2007/03-2020/12), Institute of Building Materials, Department of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University.
Guest professor (2017/07), Erlangen-Nuremberg University, Germany
Visiting scholar (2013/10-2014/12), BASF Global R&D Center, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
Research manager (2006/05-2007/03), BASF Asia Pacific R&D Center, Shanghai.
Research chemist (2002/10-2006/04), BASF Global R&D Center, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
Lecturer (2001/08-2002/10), Polymer Research Institute, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University.
High performance and sustainability are the two main subjects of modern concrete science and technologies. We are paying great efforts to understand the setting and hardening behaviors, hydration mechanisms, mechanical properties, shrinkage and cracking mechanism, and durability issues of cementitious materials in microscopic level and even down to molecular level. Eventually our target is to creatively develop new chemical and polymer admixtures to modify the above mentioned properties of cementitious materials based on deep understanding of the interaction between the organic molecules and the inorganic mineral phases, in order to provide novel concepts for higher performance concrete and innovative solutions for the sustainability of concrete. Our research activities are mainly experimental research together with computation and simulation. In many cases, we also testify the new technologies directly in construction sites in the real dimension of the structures such as several tens to hundreds meters. Thus, our research is covering a very broad scale from nanometer to kilometer.
We consider that “organic cement chemistry”, as a new branch of the traditional cement chemistry, is a fascinating emerging research area, which enlightens the modern concrete science and technology to a wider and brighter future. In this field, we have published more than 60 peer-reviewed SCI papers including more than 20 papers in the top journals of Cement and Concrete Research, Cement Concrete Composites, Journal of American Ceramic Society, Materials and Structures.
The main research focuses are as following.
- Rheology of fresh cementitious mixtures
- Cement hydration and the interaction between cement and polymers
- Structure and properties of cement hydration products and geopolymers
- Chemical/polymer admixtures for sustainability of cement and concrete industry
- Polymer-Cement Composites
- Shrinkage and cracking of cementitious materials
- Smart chemical sensor and self-healing in concrete structure
- Functional building materials (heat insulation materials, protective coatings, adhesives)
l Influences of organic additives on C-S-H structure, properties and the positive modification, NSFC (National Science Foundation of China) No.51978380 (2020/01-2023/12).
l Understanding of the retardation effect of colloidal polymers on cement hydration, DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) (2020/01-2022/12).
l Study on the dissolution-precipitation of cement in the presence of chemical admixtures, NSFC No.51778333 (2018/01-2021/12).
l Functional materials for pre-fabricated concrete with improved durability, The National Key Research and Development Program of China No.2017YFB0310002-02 (2017/07-2021/06).
l Admixtures for calcium aluminate cement for rheology and setting control，The National Key Research and Development Program of China No.2016YFB0303504-03 (2016/07-2020/06).
l Interaction between latex polymers and cement, Collaboration project with BASF (2016/03-2019/12).
l Deterioration mechanism of marine concrete and self-healing mechanisms， NSFC No.U1301241 (2014/01-2017/12).
l Cracking mechanism, mitigation and self-healing of oil well sheath, NSFC No.U1262107 (2013/01-2015/12).
l New cushion materials for slab-track railroad, NSFC-RS No. 51311130133 (2013/01-2015/12).
l Correlation of molecular structure of PCE with microstructure and rheology of fresh cement paste, NSFC No.51173094 (2012/01-2015/12).
l Hardening mechanism and micro-structure of cement-asphalt composite, NSFC No.50802050 (2009/01-2011/12).
l Rheology and microstructure development of cement asphalt mortar, Collaboration project with Sinopec (2008/06-2011/12).
1. Wang Jian, Kong Xiangming*, Yin Jianhao, Li Shiyu. Impacts of two alkanolamines on crystallization and morphology of calcium hydroxide. Cement and Concrete Research, 2020(138): 106250.
2. Fang Wang, Xiangming Kong*, Lingfei Jiang, Dongmin Wang. The acceleration mechanism of nano-C-S-H particles on OPC hydration. Construction and Building Materials, 2020(249): 118734.
3. Zichen Lu, Xiangming Kong*, Daniel Jansen,* Chaoyang Zhang, Jian Wang, Xiaofan Pang, Jianhao Yin. Towards a further understanding of cement hydration in the presence of triethanolamine. Cement and Concrete Research, 2020(132): 106041.
4. Wen Du, Chaoyang Zhang, Xiangming Kong*, Yuqun Zhuo*. Kinetic study on elemental mercury release from fly ashes and hydrated fly ash cement pastes. Chemosphere, 2020 (241): 125028
5. Hongwei Tian, Xiangming Kong*, Yong Cui, Qibao Wang. Effects of polycarboxylate superplasticizers on fluidity and early hydration in sulfoaluminate cement system. Construction and Building Materials, 2019(228): 116711.
6. D. Jansen*, Zichen. Lu, Xiangming Kong*, J. Pakusch, E. Jahns, F. Deschner, Ch. Schmidtke. The influence of glass transition temperature (Tg) of polymers on their influence on early OPC hydration: A complete study of heat flow, phase evolution and pore solution chemistry. Materials and Structures, 2019,52(6): 120.
7. Liran Zhang, Xia Miao, Xiangming Kong*, Shimin Zhou.. Retardation effect of PCE superplasticizers with different architectures and their impacts on early strength of cement morta. Cement and Concrete Composites, 2019(104): 103369.
8. Tong Su, Xiangming Kong*, Hongwei Tian, Dongmin Wang. Effects of comb-like PCE and linear copolymers on workability and early hydration of a calcium sulfoaluminate belite cement. Cement and Concrete Research, 2019(123): 105801.
9. Fang Wang, Xiangming Kong*, Dongmin Wang, Qibao Wang. The effects of nano-C-S-H with different polymer stabilizers on early cement hydration. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 2019,102(9): 5103-5116.
10. Zichen Lu, Xiangming Kong*, Chaoyang Zhang, D. Jansen*, J. Neubauer, F. Götz-Neunhoeffer. Effects of two oppositely charged polymer dispersions on cement hydration. Cement and Concrete Composites, 2019 (96): 66-76.
11. Chaoyang Zhang, Xiangming Kong*, Zichen Lu, Daniel Jansen, Joachim Pakusch, Shengxian Wang. Pore structure of hardened cement paste containing colloidal polymers with varied glass transition temperature and surface charges. Cement and Concrete Composites, 2019 (95): 154-168.
12. Hongwei Tian, Xiangming Kong*, Tong Su, Dongmin Wang. Comparative study of two PCE superplasticizers with varied charge density in Portland cement and sulfoaluminate cement systems. Cement and Concrete Research, 2019 (115): 43-58.
13. Zichen Lu, Xiangming Kong*, Chaoyang Zhang, Yi Cai. Effect of highly carboxylate charged colloidal polymer on cement hydration with emphasis of polymer particle−Ca2+ interaction. Cement and Concrete Research, 2018,113: 140-153.
14. D. Jansen⁎, Ch. Naber, D. Ectors, Z. Lu, Xiangming Kong*, F. Goetz-Neunhoeffer, J. Neubauer. The early hydration of OPC investigated by in-situ XRD, heat flow calorimetry, pore water analysis and 1H NMR: Learning about adsorbed ions from a complete mass balance approach. Cement and Concrete Research, 2018,109: 230-242.
15. Zichen Lu, Xiangming Kong*, Chaoyang Zhang, Feng Xing, Yi Cai, Lingfei Jiang Yanrong Zhang, Biqin Dong. Effect of surface modification of colloidal particles in polymer latexes on cement hydration. Construction and Building Materials, 2017, 155:1147-1157.
16. Zichen Lu, Xiangming Kong*, Chaoyang Zhang, Feng Xing, Yanrong Zhang. Effect of colloidal polymers with different surface properties on the rheological property of fresh cement pastes. Colloids and Surfaces A Physicochemical & Engineering Aspects, 2017, 520: 154-165.
17. Zichen Lu, Xiangming Kong*, Qing Zhang, Yi Cai, Yanrong Zhang, Ziming Wang, Biqin Dong, Feng Xing. Influences of styrene-acrylate latexes on cement hydration in oil well cement system at different temperatures. Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 2016 (507): 46-57.
18. Zhang Yanrong, Kong Xiangming*, Gao Liang. Characterization of the mesostructural organization of cement particles in fresh cement paste. Construction and Building Materials, 2016(124): 1038-1050.
19. Zhang Yan-Rong, Kong Xiang-Ming*, Lu Zi-chen, Lu Zhen-bao, Zhang Qing, Dong Bi-Qin, Xing Feng. Influence of triethanolamine on the hydration product of portlandite in cement paste and the mechanism. Cement and Concrete Research, 2016, (87): 64-76.
20. Lu Zichen, Kong Xiangming*, Yang Ruifang, Zhang Yanrong, Jiang Lingfei, Wang Ziming, Wang Qichun, Liu Wei, Zeng Min, Zhou Shiming, Dong Biqin, Xing Feng. Oil swellable polymer modified cement paste: Expansion and crack healing upon oil absorption. Construction and Building Materials, 2016, 114: 98-108.
21. Xiangming Kong*, Joachim Pakusch, Daniel Jansen, Sebastian Emmerling, Juergen Neubauer, Friedlinde Goetz-Neuhoeffer. Effect of polymer latexes with cleaned serum on the phase development of hydrating cement pastes. Cement and Concrete Research, 2016 (84): 30-40.
22. Yanrong Zhang, Xiangming Kong*, Liang Gao, Zichen Lu, Shiming Zhou, Biqin Dong, Feng Xing. In-situ measurement of viscoelastic properties of fresh cement paste by a microrheology analyser. Cement and Concrete Research, 2016 (79): 291-300.
23. Xiangming Kong*, Sebastian Emmerling, Joachim Pakusch, Markus Rueckel, Jörg Nieberle. Retardation effect of styrene-acrylate copolymer latexes on cement hydration. Cement and Concrete Research, 2015,75: 23-41.
24. Xiangming Kong*, Zhenlin Zhang, Zichen Lu. Effect of pre-soaked superabsorbent polymer on shrinkage of high-strength concrete. Materials and Structures, 2015, 48(9): 2741-2758.
25. Yanrong Zhang, Xiangming Kong*. Correlations of the dispersing capability of NSF type and PCE type superplasticizers and their impacts on cement hydration with the adsorption in fresh cement pastes. Cement and Concrete Research, 2015, 69: 1-9.
26. XiangMing Kong*, Hui Liu, Zhen-Bao Lu, Dong-Min Wang. The influence of silanes on hydration and strength development of cementitious systems. Cement and Concrete Research, 2015, 67: 168-178.
27. Yanrong Zhang, Xiangming Kong*, Zhenbao Lu, Shanshan Hou. Effect of the charge characteristic of the backbone of polycarboxylate superplasticizer on the adsorption and the retardation in cement pastes. Cement and Concrete Research, 2015, 67: 184-196.
28. Kong Xiangming*, Shi Zhihua, Lu Zichen. Synthesis of novel polymer nano-particles and their interaction with cement. Construction and Building Materials, 2014, 68: 434-443.
29. Zhang Yanrong, Kong Xiangming*. Influences of superplasticizer, polymer latexes and asphalt emulsions on the pore structure and impermeability of hardened cementitious materials. Construction and Building Materials, 2014 (53): 392-402.
30. Xiangming Kong*, Yongliang Liu, Zhenlin Zhang, Peiyu Yan, Yun Bai. Influences of Temperature on Mechanical Properties of Cement Asphalt Mortars. Materials and Structures, 2014, 47(1-2): 285-292.
31. Kong Xiangming*, Zhang Yanrong, Hou Shanshan. Study on the rheological properties of Portland cement pastes with polycarboxylate superplasticizers. Rheologica Acta, 2013, 52: 707-718.
32. Zhang Yanrong, Kong Xiangming*, Hou Shanshan, Liu Yongliang, Han Song. Study on the rheological properties of fresh cement asphalt paste. Construction and Building Materials, 2012, 27(1): 534-544.
33. Yang Hailong, Kong Xiangming*, Zhang Yanrong, Wu Chunchao, Cao Enxiang. Mechanical properties of polymer-modified silica aerogels dried under ambient pressure. Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 2011, 357: 3447-3453.
34. Chunchao Wu, Kong Xiangming*, Hailong Yang, Controllable preparation of high-yield magnetic polymer latex. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2011, 361: 49-58.
Department of