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Early-age hydration of ye'elimite (calcium sulfoaluminate phase) in presence of alkalis: role of calcium sulfate

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Abstract

Calcium sulfoaluminate-belite (CSAB) cement is considered a viable and environmentally friendly alternative to Portland cement. Ye'elimite or calcium sulfoaluminate which is the primary phase of CSAB cement undergoes rapid hydration, leading to the formation of ettringite or monosulfate as the major hydration product. The reactivity of ye'elimite can be influenced by other phases (e.g., calcium sulfate, calcium hydroxide, and alkalis) present in CSAB cement, affecting the evolution of hydrated phase assemblage. CSAB cements are known for their useful attributes such as quick setting, early-stage strength development, and the ability to compensate for shrinkage. These properties are directly linked to the early-age hydration of CSAB cement. This study is focused on the influence of alkali and calcium sulfate on the hydration of ye'elimite. Early-age hydration (up to 3 days) of laboratory-synthesized ye'elimite was studied under different alkali concentrations in the mix with or without calcium sulfate. The addition of gypsum was found to accelerate the early-age hydration of ye'elimite, and the alkalis contributed to further acceleration of the hydration in the initial hours. Alkalis were found to stabilize the hydration beyond a few hours, leading to a lower degree of hydration. Furthermore, alkalis influenced the formation as well as morphology of the hydration products, and the influence was more predominant in the absence of gypsum.

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Data availability

Data will be made available upon the request.

Notes

  1. Cement chemistry notation: C = CaO, A = Al2O3, F = Fe2O3, S = SiO2, Ŝ = SO3.

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Acknowledgements

The first author gratefully acknowledges the experimental facilities provided by the Department of Civil Engineering of IIT Madras and the Prime Minister's Research Fellowship from the Ministry of Education, India. The authors would like to acknowledge the Centre of Excellence on Technologies for Low-Carbon and Lean Construction at IIT Madras.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India

    Bipina Thaivalappil, Vaishnav Kumar Shenbagam & Piyush Chaunsali

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  1. Bipina Thaivalappil
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  2. Vaishnav Kumar Shenbagam
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  3. Piyush Chaunsali
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Contributions

Bipina Thaivalappil: Investigation, Methodology, Formal analysis, Writing-Original Draft. Vaishnav Kumar Shenbagam: Investigation, Methodology, Writing-Original Draft. Piyush Chaunsali: Conceptualization, Writing- Reviewing and Editing, Supervision, Funding acquisition.

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Correspondence to Piyush Chaunsali.

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Thaivalappil, B., Shenbagam, V.K. & Chaunsali, P. Early-age hydration of ye'elimite (calcium sulfoaluminate phase) in presence of alkalis: role of calcium sulfate. Mater Struct 57, 108 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-024-02384-0

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