Abstract
A systematic investigation of the influence of pseudowollastonite on the performance of a new family of low calcium hydraulic binders is described. Samples of the new low calcium binder were produced by an innovative process consisting of heating and homogenizing the mix of raw materials (limestone, sand, and fuel cracking catalyst) at a constant temperature followed by the rapid cooling of the mixture itself. Different maximum temperatures, close to the melting temperature of the mix, were tested, and materials with CaO/SiO2 (C/S) ratios of 0.9, 1.1, and 1.25 were produced into the form of the amorphous phase with small percentages of pseudowollastonite. Compressive strength results were determined at 7, 28, and 90 days of hydration, and the hydrated phases were analyzed using isothermal calorimetry, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The present work is focused on the influence of the percentage of the pseudowollastonite phase on the binder compressive strength performance.
Highlights
Portland cement (PC) is the primary component of concrete, and its production stands today between 2 and 3 billion tons per year, and it is expected to grow to 5 billion tons per year by 2050 [1].Despite the fact that this growth represents a socio-economic positive event, its potential impact on climate change is an issue that warrants particular attention
Being that the decarbonation reaction is the main source of CO2 emissions in clinker production [2], different approaches have been investigated to lower the calcium percentage in the raw mix: e.g., the substitution of calcium for other elements; the development of belitic clinkers; the development of alternative non-clinker technological routes
Representative state of the art examples are described in patents and the literature [3,4,5,6,7], but none of these solutions has yet been fully assimilated by the cement industry
Summary
Portland cement (PC) is the primary component of concrete, and its production stands today between 2 and 3 billion tons per year, and it is expected to grow to 5 billion tons per year by 2050 [1]. Despite the fact that this growth represents a socio-economic positive event, its potential impact on climate change is an issue that warrants particular attention. The production of 1 ton of PC releases an estimated 0.73–0.99 tons of CO2 [2], representing 5%–6% of total man-made greenhouse gases [2]. Within the scope of the 2030 United Nations (UN) agenda, developing hydraulic binders that match the technical and economic qualities of PC, but allow a reduction of the carbon footprint, is a target and a challenge both for researchers and for the cement industry. Representative state of the art examples are described in patents and the literature [3,4,5,6,7], but none of these solutions has yet been fully assimilated by the cement industry
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