Thermal monitoring of flash setting in portland cement clinkers

Flash setting behavior of a Type I Portland cement clinker with and without the presence of gypsum (calcium sulphate dihydrate) used as a set regulator has been studied by using thermogravimetry and differential thermal analyzing techniques. The effect of sulphate addition in controlling the flash set is monitored over the critical initial period of hydration and its consequences on the ultimate setting properties of clinker are discussed. A correlation between degree of hydration and flash setting, caused mainly by a rapid reaction between water and the phase tricalcium aluminate present in the clinker, is also established by estimating the amount of chemically bound water and free calcium hydroxide incorporated in the hydration products formed from clinker-water and clinker-calcium sulphate-water systems. It is shown that the addition of sulphate ions effectively controls the early clinker hydration possibly by reacting with tricalcium aluminate to form ettringite that shields it from further rapid hydration.     

Specific features of portland cement hydration in the presence of sodium hydrosilicates

Specific features of hydration of a portland cement with addition of alkaline silicates and the ability of these additives to affect the concentration of hydroxide ions and Ca²⁺ ions in the liquid phase of the cement paste are considered.     

Hydration of Portland cement in the presence of high activity aluminum hydroxides

The effect of highly dispersed amorphous aluminum hydroxides on the hydration of Portland cement was studied by the solid-state ²⁷Al and ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy. It was established that in the presence of aluminum hydroxides the decrease in the setting time of a cement paste is due to rapid formation of ettringite phase, with contribution of admixture material the main and contribution of aluminum-containing phases at this stage insignificant.     

Hydration process of cement in the presence of a cellulosic additive. A calorimetric investigation

In the cement industry, the extrusion technique is used to produce flat shapes with improved resistance to compression. Extrusion is a plastic-forming process that consists of forcing a highly viscous plastic mixture through a shaped die. The material should be fluid enough to be mixed and to pass through the die, and on the other hand, the extruded specimen should be stiff enough to be handled without changing in shape or cracking. These characteristics are industrially obtained by adding cellulosic polymers to the mixture. The aim of this work is to understand the action mechanism of these additives on the major pure phases constituting a typical Portland cement: tricalcium silicate (C(3)S), dicalcium silicate (C(2)S), tricalcium aluminate (C(3)A), and tetracalcium iron-aluminate (C(4)AF). In particular, a methylhydroxyethyl cellulose (MHEC) was selected from the best-performing polymers for further study. The effect of this additive on the hydration kinetics (rate constants, activation energies, and diffusional constants) was evaluated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) while the hydration products were studied by using thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). MHEC addition in calcium silicate pastes produces an increase in the induction time without affecting the nucleation-and-growth period. A less dense CSH gel was deduced from the diffusional constants in the presence of MHEC. Moreover, CSH laminar features and poorly structured hydrates were noted during the first hours of hydration. In the case of the aluminous phases, the additive inhibits the growth of stable cubic hydrated phases (C(3)AH(6)), with the advantage of the metastable hexagonal phases being formed in the earliest minutes of hydration.     

Hydration mechanisms of supersulfated cement

Considerable attention has been given to special cements, capable of reducing CO₂ emissions, energy and limestone consumption. Supersulfated cements are made of blast furnace slag (GBFS), calcium sulfate (CS), and small quantities of activator, but achieving their optimal proportions is complex. In this paper, the effects of the both CS and alkali activator (KOH) contents were studied. The main results showed that the compressive strength, heat of hydration, and consumption of anhydrite phase were strongly influenced by the alkaline content, while low calcium sulfate or alkaline content increased the formation of CSH. The instability of ettringite was verified: with low CS, the probable hypothesis was its conversion into monosulfate due to the scarcity of sulfate; with high CS, it was associated with intense, rapid consumption of anhydrite with high KOH content, followed by the precipitation of ettringite on the surface of slag grains and its conversion into monosulfate.     

Hydration of cement with superabsorbent polymers

Hydration of cement is a complex thermodynamic system where a number of heterogeneous compounds interact with each other to form cement hydrates. Superabsorbent polymers (SAP) can be added to cement systems with many different reasons, so it is relevant that the basic knowledge of this new compound on the development of hydration is well understood. This paper reports basic research on thermal analysis of cement pastes with SAP—a suspension-polymerized poly acrylic acid–acrylamide copolymer. Several parameters were analysed: the concentration of SAP, the effect of particle size distribution and their influence on the hydration process with focus on ordinary Portland cement. The methodology included thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Combined water method was employed at different thermodynamic conditions, so the energy of activation in the different systems can be accessed. The introduction of SAP in cement-based materials significantly affects the chemical balance of ordinary Portland cement. The effect is not only in terms of the amount of hydrates, but also the type of hydrates being generated, thermodynamically favourable to precipitation of calcium hydroxide. This paper provides information relevant to hydration modelling and comprehension of cementitious materials when internal curing is active.     

Hydration products in two aged cement pastes

The hydration products in two aged cement pastes (DTA/DTG/TG) were compared with those in fresh ones (static heating, SH) and were also studied by mass spectrometry (MS), IR and thermo XRD-analysis. The products considered here were: the sorbed water, the CSH gel including hydrates, portlandite, calcite, aragonite and vaterite. Except carbonates their content was higher in the stronger paste C-43, than in C-33, but lowered with ageing (only the CSH gel water remained approximately unchanged). The sorbed water content became with time lower and similar in both pastes (it evaporated up to 155-185°C in TG); the escape of the rest moved to higher temperatures (500-700°C). The three DTG peaks at 200-400°C indicated jennite-like phase in the CSH gel; the mass loss (155-460°C) was higher on ageing due to development of organic matter, especially in C-43 (DTA, TG, IR). Portlandite content changed little and carbonate content increased considerably. They decomposed in air at 470 and 720-740°C, in argon at 450 and 680-710°C and in vacuum at 400 and 630°C, respectively (DTG peak, XRD). Between 500 and 700°C the simultaneous evolution of H₂O and CO₂was observed by MS, which is attributed to dehydroxylation of jennite-like phase and/or to decomposition of some carbonate hydrate and/or hydrocarbonate (three peaks on CO₂evolution curve, MS). The d(001) peak of portlandite exceeded the nominal value and will be analyzed separately.     

Calorimetry of portland cement with silica fume and gypsum additions

The use of active mineral additions is an important alternative in concrete design. Such use is not always appropriate, however, because the heat released during hydration reactions may on occasion affect the quality of the resulting concrete and, ultimately, structural durability. The effect of adding up to 20% silica fume on two ordinary Portland cements with very different mineralogical compositions is analyzed in the present paper. Excess gypsum was added in amounts such that its percentage by mass of SO₃ came to 7.0%. The chief techniques used in this study were heat conduction calorimetry and the Frattini test, supplemented with the determination of setting times and X-ray diffraction. The results obtained showed that replacing up to 20% of Portland cement with silica fume affected the rheology of the cement paste, measured in terms of water demand for normal consistency and setting times; the magnitude and direction of these effects depended on the mineralogical composition of the clinker. Hydration reactions were also observed be stimulated by silica fume, both directly and indirectly – the latter as a result of the early and very substantial pozzolanic activity of the addition and the former because of its morphology (tiny spheres) and large BET specific surface. This translated into such a significant rise in the amounts of total heat of hydration released per gram of Portland cement at early ages, that silica fume may be regarded in some cases to cause a synergistic calorific effect with the concomitant risk of hairline cracking. The addition of excess gypsum, in turn, while prompting and attenuation of the calorimetric pattern of the resulting pastes in all cases, caused the Portland cement to generate greater heat of hydration per gram, particularly in the case of Portland cement with a high C₃A content.     

A study of the properties of portland cement modified using peat-based hydrophobic admixtures

Industrial production of portland cement with the simultaneous introduction of hydrophobic components is simulated. Their effect on the properties of the modified portland cement is determined. The method developed provides insulation of the cement from drip and, partially, vaporous moisture. The interaction between the dispersed phase of the cement and molecules of the organic admixture takes place by forming hydrogen bonds between surface silanol groups of cement particles and oxygen-containing groups of the admixture. The industrial applicability of the hydrophobization method is shown.     

Hydration of C3a in the presence of CaCO3

The hydration of C₃A with and without CaCO₃ was studied. The techniques used were X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, differential thermogravimetry and calorimetry.In the presence of CaCO₃, the hydration of C₃A is accelerated. The hexagonal hydrates are formed first. They react with CaCO₃ to form calcium carboaluminate hydrate. This reaction blocks formation of the cubic hydrate. The latter appears when CaCO₃ is completely consumed.     

Thermal mass changes of portland cement and SLAG cements after water sorption

A simple water sorption/retention (WS/WR) test, followed by stepwise static heating, was applied to the study of cement quality and the reactivity of its grain surface. The physically bound water and hence the specific surface both in the unhydrated and in the hydrated state were estimated as a function of the hydration time. Rehydration after heating at 220°C and contact with air was different inWS from that inWR samples, which indicates a difference in microstructure. XRD proved the formation of portlandite during the sorption test and eventual heating at 200°C, and its transformation into carbonates on contact with air, especially on heating at 400°C. The contents of these compounds were estimated from the mass difference between 400 and 800°C, which was compatible with the mass change between 220 and 400°C and this indicates surface reactivity. The test may serve for the routine study of cement. Dedicated to Professor Lisa Heller-Kallai on the occasion of her 65^th birthday     

Hydration of Portland cement with alkanolamines by thermal analysis

Four types of alkanolamines (i.e., traditional alkanolamines represented by TEA and TIPA and new alkanolamines represented by DEIPA and EDIPA) were added to Portland cement as chemical additives, and their effects on the cement properties and hydration process were investigated. An isothermal calorimeter was used to track the hydration heat flow of the cement pastes with or without alkanolamines. Thermogravimetric analyses were performed to measure the degree of hydration over the course of 28 days. In addition, X-ray diffraction, MIP analysis and SEM were used as auxiliary tests. The results indicated that alkanolamines improved the compressive strength of the cement mortars. It was found that TEA increased the rate of the second hydration of C₃A, and TIPA accelerated the hydration of C₄AF. DEIPA and EDIPA promoted the hydration of both the aluminum and ferrite phases as well as catalyzed the conversion of AFt to the AFm phase. By contrast, the new alkanolamines represented by DEIPA and EDIPA expressed more superior properties.     

Effect of acid additives on the placeability and strength properties of plasticized portland cement systems

Effect of various kinds of acids on the flowability and the flowability preservation time of plasticized cement-sand formulations and on the strength properties of the resulting materials was studied.     

The studies of the effect of sulfates added as chromium(VI) reducers in portland cement

The calorimetric measurements were applied in testing the effect of some sulfates, used as Cr(VI) reducers in cement, as setting and hardening modifiers. The iron(II) sulfate is most commonly added as Cr reducer to cement on grinding. This was taken as a reference in the studies of the other potential chromium reducers, such as tin(II) and manganese(II) sulfates on cement hydration. The high percentage of admixtures was reduced steadily from very high overdosage—to find the possible effect of non-homogeneity resulted from the hygroscopic character of compounds used and to detect the possible products which can be formed—to relatively small quantity, as used in practice. The progress of cement hydration was investigated by calorimetry and chemical shrinkage measurements. The rheological properties of cement paste admixtured with iron, tin, and manganese sulfates were investigated, as well as the phase composition of hydrated pastes was studies by XRD. The compressive strength of the small paste cylinders was measured. Finally, the hydrated samples were subjected to the SEM observations. The tin sulfate showed the strongest retarding action as it was proved by calorimetry and chemical shrinkage data, as well as by strength and rheological measurements; however, at small quantities, this compound has a positive impact on setting and hardening. The detrimental effect of overdosed Mn and Fe sulfates due first of all to the formation of higher amount of ettringite at very early age was found. This can be proved additionally by the change of rheological parameters—higher yield stress and viscosity.     

Hydration forces between bilayers in the presence of dissolved or surface-linked sugars

We analyse the experimental evidence of the hydration force near phospholipid bilayers when the “solvent” is a solution of carbohydrates. Two cases must be clearly distinguished: when sugar is dissolved, depletion causes a supplementary attractive force, while in the case of sugar linked to the lipid the contact pressure increases by orders of magnitude. Attractive interaction inferred between bilayers is sometimes derived from indirect evidence, i.e. scattering, attraction between layers adsorbed, shape of phase boundary limits, and without the simultaneous determination of the osmotic compressibility. Generally, water molecules in the first hydration shell of sugar compete with water molecules bound (by more than one kT in free energy) to lipid head-groups. A general result is that the decay length of any repulsive effect remains close to 0.2 nm, even in concentrated sugar solutions. A tentative general explanation of this experimental fact is given together with consequences, such as the possibility of several types of critical points appearing in bilayer stacks. Decay length as well as effective contact pressure is considered with respect to carbohydrate activity.     

Hydration of Portland cement with red mud as mineral addition

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The use of red mud from Bayer process in association with Portland cement has been shown to be promising because of its good performance on the...     

Hydration of alkenes and cycloalkenes in the presence of chromium and copper complexes

Chromium and copper complexes catalyzed hydration of acyclic and cyclic olefins in the presence of carbon tetrachloride at 110–160°C (4–12 h) with formation of the corresponding alcohols.     

Hydration behaviour of a lime-pozzolan cement containing MSW incinerator fly ash

A lime-pozzolan cement was used to make pastes containing different quantities of MSW fly ash. After setting, the pastes were cured in water at room temperature from 1 h to 260 days. The hydration characteristics and the nature of the hydration products of the various pastes were studied by simultaneous TG/DSC thermal analysis and X-ray diffractometry. The MSW fly ash was found to induce a slowing of the hydration process in lime-pozzolan pastes, and after some days an evident acceleration of hydration reactions occurred. Sulphate and chloride in the MSW fly ash yield hydration products forming a cementitious matrix.The author is grateful to D. Calabrese for assistance with the thermal and XRD analyses.