The hydration of the two most reactive phases of ordinary Portland cement (OPC), tricalcium silicate (C3S), and tricalcium aluminate (C3A) is successfully halted when the activity of water (
The hydration of tricalcium silicate (C3S)—the major phase in cement—is effectively arrested when the activity of water (
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10457693
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of the American Ceramic Society
- Volume:
- 103
- Issue:
- 6
- ISSN:
- 0002-7820
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 3851-3870
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Abstract ) falls below critical thresholds of 0.70 and 0.45, respectively. It has been established that the reduction in relative humidity (RH) and suppresses the hydration of all anhydrous phases in OPC, including less explored phases like dicalcium silicate, that is, belite (β‐C2S). However, the degree of suppression, that is, the critical threshold, for β‐C2S, standalone has yet to be established. This study utilizes isothermal microcalorimetry and X‐ray diffraction techniques to elucidate the influence of on the hydration of ‐C2S suspensions via incremental replacements of water with isopropanol (IPA). Experimentally, this study shows that with increasing IPA replacements, hydration is increasingly suppressed until eventually brought to a halt at a critical threshold of approximately 27.7% IPA on a weight basis (wt.%IPA). From thermodynamic estimations, the exact critical threshold and solubility product constant of ‐C2S ( ) are established as 0.913 and 10−12.68, respectively. This study enables enhanced understanding of β‐C2S reactivity and provides thermodynamic parameters during the hydration of β‐C2S‐containing cementitious systems such as OPC‐based and calcium aluminate‐based systems. -
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Abstract The focus of this study is to elucidate the role of particle size distribution (PSD) of metakaolin (MK) on hydration kinetics of tricalcium silicate (C3S–T1) pastes. Investigations were carried out utilizing both physical experiments and phase boundary nucleation and growth (pBNG) simulations. [C3S + MK] pastes, prepared using 8%massor 30%massMK, were investigated. Three different PSDs of MK were used: fine MK, with particulate sizes <20 µm; intermediate MK, with particulate sizes between 20 and 32 µm; and coarse MK, with particulate sizes >32 µm. Results show that the correlation between specific surface area (SSA) of MK's particulates and the consequent alteration in hydration behavior of C3S in first 72 hours is nonlinear and nonmonotonic. At low replacement of C3S (ie, at 8%mass), fine MK, and, to some extent, coarse MK act as fillers, and facilitate additional nucleation and growth of calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H). When C3S replacement increases to 30%mass, the filler effects of both fine and coarse MK are reversed, leading to suppression of C–S–H nucleation and growth. Such reversal of filler effect is also observed in the case of intermediate MK; but unlike the other PSDs, the intermediate MK shows reversal at both low and high replacement levels. This is due to the ability of intermediate MK to dissolve rapidly—with faster kinetics compared to both coarse and fine MK—which results in faster release of aluminate [Al(OH)4−] ions in the solution. The aluminate ions adsorb onto C3S and MK particulates and suppress C3S hydration by blocking C3S dissolution sites and C–S–H nucleation sites on the substrates’ surfaces and suppressing the post‐nucleation growth of C–S–H. Overall, the results suggest that grinding‐based enhancement in SSA of MK particulates does not necessarily enhance early‐age hydration of C3S.
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