Influence of whitening additives on the properties of decorative slag-alkaline cements

Abstract

Traditional decorative cements are made on the basis of white cements and the demand for them is constantly growing. But such cements have all the disadvantages of clinker cements, namely, high energy intensity and high price. An alternative may be slag-alkali cements having higher physical and mechanical characteristics and lower price. Therefore, these studies were aimed at choosing such additives that would have the maximum whitening properties and would enhance the stabilization of bleaching processes during hydration and hardening of slag in the presence of alkalis, to determine the simultaneous effect of three additives on the whiteness and physical-mechanical characteristics, as well as to determine the optimal the content of these additives in slag-alkali decorative compositions. In this work, as a result of the studies performed, the possibility of obtaining effective slag-alkali white cements as the basis for the production of decorative concrete with acceptable economic characteristics is proved. The influence of each of the bleaches on such characteristics of decorative slag-alkali cements as strength, setting time, whiteness is established. Methods for optimizing compositions are identified.