Eco-friendly belite cement elaborated from shell and glass powder

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to use inorganic wastes to completely replace traditional raw materials for the production of belite rich clinkers, waste glass as a source of SiO2 oxide and shells as a source of calcium carbonate CaCO3 to synthesize belite-rich cement. After grinding, the raw materials were blended to synthesize the dicalcium silicate phase (Ca2SiO4) in a heat treatment up to 1000 °C. The clinkers produced were rich in elaborated Ca2SiO4, mixed with gypsum and shell powder as a source of calcium carbonate to form belitic cements. The cements were prepared and hydrated with different proportions of belitic clinker (56, 62 and 72%).The specimens were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The results of the XRD and FTIR analyses demonstrate that hydration of the three cements over time leads to the formation of crystallized C-S-H compounds, which increase in abundance after 90 days upon the increase of the C2S percentage. We have attempted here to provide an update on the development of high-belite cements with low CO2 emissions.