skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: A thermodynamic approach to the hydration of sulphate-resisting Portland cement

Journal Article · · Waste Management
 [1];  [2]
  1. Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Laboratory for Concrete and Construction Chemistry, Uberlandstrasse 129, 8600 Duebendorf (Switzerland)
  2. Paul Scherrer Institute, Nuclear Energy and Safety Department, Laboratory for Waste Management, 5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland)

A thermodynamic approach is used to model changes in the hydrate assemblage and the composition of the pore solution during the hydration of calcite-free and calcite-containing sulphate-resisting Portland cement CEM I 52.5 N HTS. Modelling is based on thermodynamic data for the hydration products and calculated hydration rates for the individual clinker phases, which are used as time-dependent input parameters. Model predictions compare well with the composition of the hydrate assemblage as observed by TGA and semi-quantitative XRD and with the experimentally determined compositions of the pore solutions. The calculations show that in the presence of small amounts of calcite typically associated with Portland cement, C-S-H, portlandite, ettringite and calcium monocarbonate are the main hydration products. In the absence of calcite in the cement, however, siliceous hydrogarnet instead of calcium monocarbonate is observed to precipitate. The use of a higher water-to-cement ratio for the preparation of a calcite-containing cement paste has a minor effect on the composition of the hydrate assemblage, while it significantly changes the composition of the pore solution. In particular, lower pH value and higher Ca concentrations appear that could potentially influence the solubility and uptake of heavy metals and anions by cementitious materials.

OSTI ID:
20877585
Journal Information:
Waste Management, Vol. 26, Issue 7; Conference: International workshop on mechanisms and modeling of waste/cement interactions, Meiringen (Switzerland), 8-12 May 2005; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2006.01.023; PII: S0956-053X(06)00048-1; Copyright (c) 2006 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0956-053X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English