“Kiran K” of Larsen and Toubro reports that Sorel cement is sensitive to X-rays and strong DC electric fields — they prevent it from setting. (Even more astonishingly, he claims polarized laser light affects its setting.)
What if this is true?
Ring and Ping give more detail:
Cements formulated near the stoichiometry of the 5-phase [i.e., 5MgO + 1MgCl₂] reaction, e.g. 0.8987 kg/L (7.5 lbs/gal) and 28.9±0.15% MgCl₂ brine, are the strongest. Kinetic experiments observed that the 5-phase is formed quickly, but the kinetics are not complete for several days. The cement does not set by the 5-phase reaction when exposed to Cu Kα x-rays but gives a putty like form having MgCl₂*6H₂O crystals that do not set into a cement. These are the first observations of x-ray altered cementation reaction kinetics.
Does this mean you could use X-rays to 3-D print an object out of Sorel cement?