Abstract:The hydration degree and the phase compositions of cement pastes were studied by using isothermal calorimetry,Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetrydifferential scanning calorimetry (TGDSC) and Xray diffraction (XRD).Results show that hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose(HEMC) retards the earlyage hydration of cement paste, decreases the earlyage hydration rate and hydration heat of cement paste, but hardly retards the hydration of cement paste after the deceleratory period. Interactions between HEMC and cement hydration products take place. [SiO4]4-tetrahedron monomers and dimers of calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) coexist in cement paste modified with HEMC, while only [SiO4]4-tetrahedron monomers exist in the unmodified cement paste.