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Crystalline admixture effects on crystal formation phenomena during cement pastes’ hydration

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Abstract

Crystalline admixtures (CAs), categorized as permeability-reducing admixtures, are commercial products employed in low contents in cement-based materials either to improve concrete durability or to stimulate autogenous healing of cracks. This study investigated the effects on crystal formation promoted by CA presence in cementitious pastes by thermal analysis. X-ray diffraction was used as a complementary technique to identify the formed phases. The results indicated that the increment in CA content increased calcium hydroxide (CH) and monocarboaluminate contents. However, it did not change the total combined water and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) contents. In fact, the increment in CA content prolonged the retarding of hydration reactions and decreased the dehydroxylation temperature of CH, suggesting the decrease in crystallinity and purity degree. The primary action mechanisms of CA confirmed were the long-term ability for further hydration to occur, the CH recrystallization, and the conversion of lower to higher thermal stability phases. Chemical and physical mechanisms of CAs are related to their surface area increase and their chemical nature, mainly composed of limestone. These characteristics confer with CA, the ability to act as a nucleation and precipitation stimulator to form new products.

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Abbreviations

C:

CaO

S:

SiO2

A:

Al2O3

F:

Fe2O3

\({\bar{\text{S}}}\) :

SO3

\({\bar{\text{C}}}\) :

CO2

H:

H2O

ACH:

Aluminate calcium hydrate

AFm:

Monosulfoaluminate (C4A\({\bar{\text{S}}}\)H12)

AFt:

Ettringite (C6A\({\bar{\text{S}}}\)3H22)

CaCO3 :

Calcium carbonate

C–A–S–H:

Calcium–aluminosilicate–hydrate

CH:

Portlandite or calcium hydroxide

C–S–H:

Calcium–silicate–hydrate

Hca:

Hemicarboaluminate (C4A\({\bar{\text{C}}}\)0.5H12)

Mca:

Monocarboaluminate (C4A\({\bar{\text{C}}}\)H11)

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Acknowledgements

This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001. The support of Brazilian funding agencies CNPq—Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnológico, FAPERJ—Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, and FINEP—Empresa Brasileira de Inovação e Pesquisa is also gratefully acknowledged. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Reiner Neumann (CETEM and National Museum/UFRJ, Brazil) for the quantitative XRD analyses and the anonymous reviewers for their careful review of the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Civil Engineering Department, COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, P.O. Box 68506, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-972, Brazil

    Aline de Souza Oliveira, Eduardo de Moraes Rego Fairbairn & Romildo Dias Toledo Filho

  2. Inorganic Process Department, School of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, P.O. Box 68542, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-909, Brazil

    Jo Dweck

  3. Centre for Mineral Technology (CETEM), Av. Pedro Calmon 900, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-908, Brazil

    Otávio da Fonseca Martins Gomes

  4. Postgraduate Program in Geosciences, National Museum, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Av. Quinta da Boa Vista, S/N, Bairro Imperial de São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro, 20940-040, Brazil

    Otávio da Fonseca Martins Gomes

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  1. Aline de Souza Oliveira
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de Souza Oliveira, A., Dweck, J., de Moraes Rego Fairbairn, E. et al. Crystalline admixture effects on crystal formation phenomena during cement pastes’ hydration. J Therm Anal Calorim 139, 3361–3375 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-019-08745-0

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