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A thorough characterization of starting materials is the precondition for further research, especially for cement, which contains various phases and presents quite a complex material for fundamental scientific investigation. In the paper at hand, the characterization data of the reference cement CEM I 42.5 R used within the priority program 2005 of the German Research Foundation (DFG SPP 2005) are presented from the aspects of chemical and mineralogical compositions as well as physical and chemical properties. The data were collected based on tests conducted by nine research groups involved in this cooperative program. For all data received, the mean values and the corresponding errors were calculated. The results shall be used for the ongoing research within the priority program.
Tricalcium-silicate (C3S) or Alite is the most important mineral in Portland cement. Since pure tricalcium-silicate is only stable above temperatures of 1250 °C, its decomposition has to be prevented technically by fast cooling after the sintering process. At room temperature, the decomposition velocity is very slow so that metastable tricalcium-silicate is obtained.
Although the mechanisms of clinker phase formation during burning process of Portland cement in a rotary kiln were solved and improved over the years, in view of possible economic and ecological benefits current projects aim to produce clinker phases from metallurgical slags. Recent studies discovered that the mineral phase which remained after a reducing treatment and separation of formed metallic iron from molten Linz-Donawitz (LD-) slags contained about 60 wt.% Alite despite it was cooled slowly. Because the results could be verified using slags from different origins and varying cooling velocities a chemical stabilisation of the Alite can be assumed. First tests in mortars indicate that workability, hardening and solid state properties are comparable with an ordinary Portland cement. An application of the observed phenomenon in cement production requires enhanced knowledge about formation and stabilisation conditions of Alite during crystallisation from melts in contrast to the sintering reactions in conventional Portland cement production. Therefore, this study focuses on the stabilisation mechanisms of Alite in consolidating melts. Samples from different melting experiments are analysed to determine stabilising factors.
The flowability of cement paste is of great importance in today’s construction industry and is influenced by additives such as superplasticizers (SP). One type of SPs are polycarboxylate ether type SPs. These additives electrostatically bind with the negatively charged carboxylic groups at the backbone to the positively charged clinker phases.
To model positively charged clinker phases with adsorbed SP, silicon Wafers are pre-coated with cationic polyethylenimine (PEI) and SP is adsorbed onto the coated surface (Si/PEI/SP). Two different polycarboxylate ether type (PCE) SP are compared – one for ready-mix concrete and one for precast concrete. In this preliminary study the interaction forces between Si/PEI/SP surface and a silica microsphere (colloidal probe) are investigated under mild physico-chemical conditions (pH *6, ion concentration <10−5 M) using Colloidal Probe Atomic Force Microscopy (CP-AFM).
The interaction force between the model surfaces is attractive for low concentration of SP. The force changes from attractive to repulsive by increasing amount of SP. The force upon approach reveals a biexponential behavior. The exponential decay at large and short surface separations are attributed to electrostatic and steric interactions, respectively. The steric forces of the SP for ready-mix concrete show a steeper onset than the SP for precast concrete.
The quantification of these interaction forces will be compared to rheological measurements of similar systems. Furthermore, the parameters will be changed to better approach the conditions in real systems, i.e. higher pH and ionic strength. This helps to understand how the forces on the nanoscale influence the macroscopic rheology.
Properties of interstitial liquid phase in cement paste, including the species and concentrations of polymers and ion etc., play an important role for the rheological properties of cementitious materials. In order to better understand their effect, an inert model substance, spherical silica beads (SBs) with defined surface and granulometry were used in the presence of electrolytes (CaCl2) and/or different polymers, including polycarboxylate superplasticizer (PCE) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). It was found the presence of Ca2+ greatly increases the viscosity and yield stress of silica beads paste (SBP), which is proportional to the [Ca2+]. For the effect of PCE, the addition of PCE is beneficial to the flowability of SBP, but a high dosage of PCE leads to a reversal effect. Furthermore, the yield stress firstly increases and then decreases with increasing [Ca2+] under the same dosage of PCE. The addition of PEG always increases the yield stress of SBP, regardless of the ion concentration and the presence or not of PCE.
Special applications like pumping, spraying or printing of concrete require the precise adjustment of very specific rheological properties at different time steps during the casting process. Superplasticizers such as polycarboxylate ethers (PCE) can be used to obtain the required flowability, which, possibly in combination with additional rheology modifying admixtures, generate the required specified consistency. However, after the application, the concrete should change the rheological properties immediately in order to avoid deformations at rest. Therefore, the use of accelerators can be effective. Accelerators influence the hydration of cementitious materials, and thus the rheological properties over the course of time and the setting.
In this paper, the influence of different accelerators on the rheology and early hydration of cement paste as well as the interaction of accelerator and PCE are presented. Methods like rheometry, needle penetration tests and practical Tests like spread flow were applied. The used accelerators showed accelerating behavior on the cement pastes without and in the presence of PCE. At the same time an influence on the rheology could be observed. This effect was less in the mixes with PCE, especially at the highest water/cement ratio (w/c).