Effect of addition of nano-magnetite on the hydration characteristics of hardened Portland cement and high slag cement pastes

In this investigation the effect of addition of magnetite nanoparticles on the hydration characteristics of both ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and high slag cement (HSC) pastes was studied. The cement pastes were prepared using a water/solid (W/S) mass ratio of 0.3 with addition of 0.05, 0.1, and 0.3 % of magnetic fluid Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles by mass of cement. An aqueous stable magnetic fluid containing Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, with a mean diameter in the range of super-paramagnetism, was prepared via co-precipitation method from ferrous and ferric solutions. The admixed magnetite-cement pastes were examined for compressive strength, chemically combined water content, X-ray diffraction analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. The results of compressive strength revealed that the hardened pastes made from OPC and HSC admixed with different amounts of magnetic fluid have higher compressive strength values than those of the neat cement OPC and HSC cement pastes at almost all ages of hydration. The results of chemically combined water content for the admixed cement pastes showed almost the same general trend and nearly comparable values as those of the neat cement pastes. From the XRD diffractograms obtained for the neat OPC and HSC cement pastes, the main hydration products identified are calcium silicate hydrates, portlandite, and calcium sulfoaluminate hydrates. Addition of magnetic fluid nanoparticles to both of OPC and HSC did not affect the main hydration products of the neat OPC or HSC cement in addition to one main basic difference, namely, the formation of calcium iron hydroxide silicate as a new hydration product with a reasonable hydraulic character.