Thermomechanical treatment of two Ecuadorian zeolite-rich tuffs and their potential usage as supplementary cementitious materials

Two Ecuadorian zeolite-rich tuffs, coded as Zeo1 (Mordenite) and Zeo2 (Clinoptilolite–Heulandite–Mordenite), were treated and used as supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) so as to study the effect of the thermal and mechanical treatments on pozzolanic reaction in mortars. The treatment was carried out by means of thermomechanical process according to a central composite-blocked cube-star experimental design. In this experimental design as independent factors the milling time (48, 60, 90, 120 and 132 min) and the heating temperatures (559, 600, 700, 800 and 841 °C) were used but keeping a constant heating time (5 h), and zeolite-rich tuffs as experimental blocks. The proportion of SCM was kept constant i.e. 15 %. On the other hand, the compressive strength, fixed lime, normalized water in hydrates and mg Ca(OH)₂ per mg Cement at 7, 28 and 45 days, as well as hydration products related to dehydration degree of the zeolitic tuffs (DOD) were used as dependent factors. In addition, Quantitative and High-temperature chamber XRD, TG-DSC, particle size distribution and SEM-EDS were also carried out. The most significant factor was calcination leading to increase in the compressive strength compared to control, but just up to 800 °C because of recrystallization. As a conclusion, a meaningful loss of crystal structure of zeolites was not observed; but instead, the treatment could only lead to removing the water in cages and voids, thus improving the reaction with Ca(OH)₂, producing more hydrates. In addition, lime was not only fixed by pozzolanic reaction, but also by carbonation.