09/01/2026

📢 CONTRABASS Secondment Update! 

We’re excited to share that Fangyuan Ren (DC2) has officially started her secondment at CHRYSO, under the supervision of Dr. Claire Giraudeau and Amandine Fournet! 🧪🏗️ 

During this secondment, Fangyuan will focus on validating selected Mg solubility-improving additives from her first study, as well as CHRYSO admixtures, in Portland cement mixes containing MgCO₃. Her work will investigate how the Mg phase influences hydration reactions and pore solution composition, whether the additives maintain Mg selectivity and remain effective under cement relevant ionic strength and alkalinity, and how the admixtures affect phase development and overall compatibility. 

This work will translate the additives screening results in simplified system into cement-based systems and provide practical guidance for the next stage of DC2. 

A fantastic opportunity to deepen our understanding of Mg behavior in Portland cement, while reinforcing the collaboration between academia and industry. 💡🔬 

Best of luck, Fangyuan—we’re excited to follow your progress! 🙌