Investigation of Low-Calcium Circulating Fluidized Bed Fly Ash on the Mechanical Strength and Microstructure of Cement-Based Material

Abstract

This present study mainly focuses on the influence of low-calcium circulating fluidized bed fly ash (LCFA) on the mechanical property and microstructure of cement-based materials under different curing conditions. The mechanical properties test was conducted by changing variable parameters, such as LCFA content, the internal mixing ratio of LCFA and fly ash (FA), and dry and water curing conditions. Further, the hydration products and pore structure were analyzed using XRD, FT-IR, TG-DTG, NI, SEM, and BET micro-testing technology. The strength development law of LCFA on cement-based materials is discussed. The research results show that LCFA has a certain degree of self-hardening and can be used as a cementitious material in cement-based materials. Still, the loose and porous microstructure of LCFA leads to higher water requirements, which reduces the fluidity of cement-based pastes. Water curing is favorable for promoting the development of LCFA on the long-term compressive strength of cement-based materials. When the LCFA was added to the cement, the optimal substitution ratio was 20%, and the compressive strength at 91 days reached 101 MPa. In the case of compounding LCFA and FA, when the internal mixing ratio of LCFA/FA was 3 and the total content was 20%, the mechanical properties were the highest, and the compressive strength at 91 days was 92 MPa. The microscopic analysis result shows that the cumulative hydration heat of the samples decreased significantly with the increase of dosage of LCFA. The main hydration products of cement-based materials mixed with LCFA were AFt, C-S-H gel, and Ca(OH)2. AFt and C-S-H gels are critical to the strength development of OPC-LCFA samples. The active Al2O3 and active SiO2 in LCFA were involved in hydration reactions to promote the formation of C-A-H and C-S-H gel and effectively promote the development of the mechanical properties. Overdosages of LCFA would reduce the ettringite formation rate. FA is not conducive to AFt formation in the hydration process of OPC-FA samples.