We first investigate the influence of citric, tartaric, and succinic acid on the dissolution of C 3 S. The additive concentration of 5 mmol L -1 corresponds to an additive dosage in %bwoc of 0.048% citric acid, 0.0375% tartaric acid, 0.0295% succinic acid at a water-to-cement ratio of 0.5. All three acids expectedly lead to a significant increase in the initial dissolution rate (Figure ) ascribed to the acidic character of the additives . A linear increase of the log of the dissolution rate is indeed typically observed for most silicate glasses and minerals with a decreasing pH below pH 7 . It needs to be noted that, in real systems, the amount of cement far exceeds the amount of acid (common dosages of set retarders are between 0.1 % to 0.2 %). Therefore, hydroxide ions released from the cement rapidly neutralize