Scribd
Upload
288 views6 pages

Clinker and SCMs Reactivity

Uploaded by

Keshav Nanda
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
288 views6 pages

Clinker and SCMs Reactivity

Uploaded by

Keshav Nanda
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Clinker Phases Formation

Understanding and studying the raw materials and reactions


inside the kiln, trying to understand these reactions, and
working on burning and cooling regime and optimizing them
will ultimately lead to the production of reactive clinker.
Factors Contributing to Clinker Reactivity

All of these factors must be


carefully studied, identified,
followed up, and worked
towards continuous
improvement.
Solid Solution & Polymorphic Crystal Form and its relation with Clinker Reactivity
The heating and cooling regime of the clinker
are important factors determining C3S
polymorphic form. Rapid heating and cooling
are the ways to attain and stabilise the most
reactive crystal forms.
Rapid heating of the clinker is achieved by
sharp temperature profile and a high
rotational speed of the kiln.

However, the hydraulic reactivity does not simply rise


with the order of temperature transition between the
polymorphs. In particular the M1 polymorphs is more
reactive than the M3 polymorph. Maximum disorder is
present in the C3S crystals just after transition to M1
from T3, or R1 from M3, subsequent transitions M1
M2 M3 reduce the disorder and strains in the C3S
structure.
The combined MgO and SO3 solid solution in C3S has
an important part to play in determining the
monoclinic polymorph of C3S that dominates.
Belite and Alite Reactivity ( Density Functional Theory) DFT

For the five polymorphs of Belite (a) , the experimental


results showed that the reactivity order is α-C2S > α’H-C2S > β-
C2S > α’L-C2S > γ-C2S . In the case of Alite (b) , only three
polymorphs have been studied as the order of reactivity is
known as R-C3S > T1-C3S > M3-C3S. Although these
experimental results are valuable in terms of producing
optimized cement phases and developing more sustainable
cements, more fundamental-level analysis is required for
better understanding the origin of different reactivities
between Alite and Belite as well as among different
polymorphs, especially in a quantitative manner. Due to the
fact that those crystals have high similarities and uncertainty
of having other factors determining the crystal structure,
such as ion substitution, experimental investigation on the
reactivity of those crystals is quite challenging.
SCMs Reactivity

Reactivity of SCMs is often lower than reactivity of clinker


phases , which causes that for high and very high cement
replacement level, pozzolanic reaction and acceleration of
cement hydration may be insufficient to obtain required
properties of final composite. In such case different ways of
activation of the system and increasing of SCM reactivity are
considered .
Several factors influence reactivity of SCM, such as chemical
and phase composition of SCM, morphology of its grains
(size of grains and their shape, specific surface area), level
of cement substitution, conditions of hardening (e.g. pH of
reaction media, temperature), type of cement used.
Reactivity of SCMs is crucial for development of properties
of final composite. Thus, investigation concerning hydration
processes taking place in binders of new compositions is
important not only from a scientific but also from a practical
point of view.
SCMs Reactivity
Properties of cement composites containing SCMs depend on chemical and
phase composition of binding mix influencing structure of hardened
material. It is necessary to disclose SCMs reactivity and mechanisms of
chemical and physical processes taking place in SCMs-cement systems over
time and in different conditions, including development of structure of C–
(A)–S–H phase.
Studies of the microstructure of hardened materials and mechanism of
hydration/pozzolanic reactions give the possibility to understand the
mystery related to their durability and mechanical properties.
Many factors affect the structure and, consequently, the mechanical
properties and durability of the C–A–S–H phase, such as type of counter-ion,
the way and place of Al incorporation etc., as well as external factors such as
temperature, time.
In the case of systems in which SCMs are the main source of Al ions, it
should be taken into account that SCM is usually less reactive than cement
and the key factor is the grain dissolution rate.
Among different research methods used to investigate processes of binders
hydration and formed products, those enabling estimation of SCMs degree
of reaction are especially valuable. These methods have advantages but also
more or less limitations. Thus, there is a need to find new or develop further
used so far methods to enable more precise determination of reactivity of
SCMs in compound system of cement paste.
Calorimetry and thermal analysis methods are very useful to investigate
early and subsequent hydration periods and formed products including
those identified in ancient structures. These techniques can also be used in
studies of the degree of SCMs reaction.

You might also like