• Available CA surface area: We show that the duration of the inhibition time also depends on the physical properties of the CA binders used. A linear relationship is identified between the required HCl amount necessary to achieve a predetermined inhibition duration and the available CA surface area, estimated from the binders' CA content and the Blaine surface area. This surface dependency underlines that the inhibition process is driven by the acid influence on the superficial dissolution rate of the reactive phase (CA).