Abstract
The expansion of periclase (MgO) is assessed with ASTM C151 in North America. Due to the potential safety hazard, and the fact that not all testing laboratories have access to the equipment, a test method using storage of paste bars in limewater at 80°C (176°F) was assessed. Cement paste mixtures containing 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8% hard-burnt periclase were investigated. The Le Chatelier test and expansion of paste prisms exposed to 3-hour boiling, 80°C (176°F), and the standard ASTM C151 method were compared. Le Chatelier test results were highly variable and not suitable to determine potential brucite expansion. Both the 3-hour boiling and the 80°C (176°F) method were found to be highly correlated to the ASTM C151 results, but resulted in 2% and 10% of the total autoclave expansions, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that the more severe the exposure, the greater the conversion of periclase to brucite.
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