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Title: Formulating a low-alkalinity, high-resistance and low-heat concrete for radioactive waste repositories

Abstract

Investigations were carried out in order to formulate and characterize low-alkalinity and low-heat cements which would be compatible with an underground waste repository environment. Several systems comprising Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), a fast-reacting pozzolan (silica fume (SF) or metakaolin (MK)) and, in some cases, a slow-reacting product (fly ash (FA) or blastfurnace slag (BFS)) were compared. Promising results were obtained with some binary mixtures of OPC and SF, and with some ternary blends of OPC, SF and FA or BFS: pH of water in equilibrium with the fully hydrated cements dropped below 11. Dependence of the properties of standard mortars on the high contents of FA and SF in the low-pH blends was examined. Combining SF and FA seemed attractive since SF compensated for the low reactivity of FA, while FA allowed to reduce the water demand, and dimensional variations of the mortars. Finally, low-heat ({delta}T < 20 deg. C under semi-adiabatic conditions) and high strength ({approx} 70-80 MPa) concretes were prepared from two low-pH cements: a binary blend made from 60% of OPC and 40% of SF, and a ternary blend including 37.5% OPC, 32.5% SF and 30% FA.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]
  1. Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, DTCD/SPDE/L2ED, CEN Valrho, 30207 Bagnols-sur-Ceze cedex (France)
  2. Universite Aix-Marseille II, Laboratoire EA(MS), Avenue Gaston Berger, 13625 Aix-en-Provence cedex (France)
  3. Ecole des Mines d'Ales, Centre des Materiaux de Grande Diffusion, 6 avenue de Clavieres, 30319 Ales Cedex (France)
  4. EDF, Centre de Recherche des Renardieres, BP1 Ecuelles, 77250 Moret-sur-Loing (France)
  5. ANDRA, Direction Scientifique/Service Colis-Materiaux, Parc de la Croix Blanche, 1-7 rue Jean Monnet, 92298 Chatenay-Malabry cedex (France)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
20871550
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Cement and Concrete Research
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 36; Journal Issue: 12; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.cemconres.2006.10.005; PII: S0008-8846(06)00248-1; Copyright (c) 2006 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0008-8846
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; ACID NEUTRALIZING CAPACITY; BINARY MIXTURES; CONCRETES; FLY ASH; MORTARS; PORTLAND CEMENT; PRESSURE RANGE MEGA PA 10-100; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SILICA; UNDERGROUND FACILITIES; WATER REQUIREMENTS

Citation Formats

Cau Dit Coumes, Celine, Courtois, Simone, Nectoux, Didier, Leclercq, Stephanie, and Bourbon, Xavier. Formulating a low-alkalinity, high-resistance and low-heat concrete for radioactive waste repositories. United States: N. p., 2006. Web. doi:10.1016/j.cemconres.2006.10.005.
Cau Dit Coumes, Celine, Courtois, Simone, Nectoux, Didier, Leclercq, Stephanie, & Bourbon, Xavier. Formulating a low-alkalinity, high-resistance and low-heat concrete for radioactive waste repositories. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2006.10.005
Cau Dit Coumes, Celine, Courtois, Simone, Nectoux, Didier, Leclercq, Stephanie, and Bourbon, Xavier. 2006. "Formulating a low-alkalinity, high-resistance and low-heat concrete for radioactive waste repositories". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2006.10.005.
@article{osti_20871550,
title = {Formulating a low-alkalinity, high-resistance and low-heat concrete for radioactive waste repositories},
author = {Cau Dit Coumes, Celine and Courtois, Simone and Nectoux, Didier and Leclercq, Stephanie and Bourbon, Xavier},
abstractNote = {Investigations were carried out in order to formulate and characterize low-alkalinity and low-heat cements which would be compatible with an underground waste repository environment. Several systems comprising Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), a fast-reacting pozzolan (silica fume (SF) or metakaolin (MK)) and, in some cases, a slow-reacting product (fly ash (FA) or blastfurnace slag (BFS)) were compared. Promising results were obtained with some binary mixtures of OPC and SF, and with some ternary blends of OPC, SF and FA or BFS: pH of water in equilibrium with the fully hydrated cements dropped below 11. Dependence of the properties of standard mortars on the high contents of FA and SF in the low-pH blends was examined. Combining SF and FA seemed attractive since SF compensated for the low reactivity of FA, while FA allowed to reduce the water demand, and dimensional variations of the mortars. Finally, low-heat ({delta}T < 20 deg. C under semi-adiabatic conditions) and high strength ({approx} 70-80 MPa) concretes were prepared from two low-pH cements: a binary blend made from 60% of OPC and 40% of SF, and a ternary blend including 37.5% OPC, 32.5% SF and 30% FA.},
doi = {10.1016/j.cemconres.2006.10.005},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/20871550}, journal = {Cement and Concrete Research},
issn = {0008-8846},
number = 12,
volume = 36,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2006},
month = {Fri Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2006}
}