Physical Properties and Hydration of Cementitious Materials Prepared from Vanadium Slag and Phosphate Slag

Abstract

The physical properties and hydration of a cementitious material, which prepared mainly from the vanadium slag and phosphate slag, were investigated. These slags were investigated can be reused as original resources to prepare cement clinker based on the fact that they mainly comprise silicon and calcium phases, respectively. In this research, a batch of cement having various grades was prepared by mixing the clinker with gypsum, tailings, and fly ash. X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential thermogravimetric (DTG) as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were applied to test and analyze the physical properties and hydration of the prepared cement. Experimental results suggest that the performances of the cement meet the requirements of national standards in all aspects. Its hydration process is similar to that of common Portland cement, whose hydrates were mainly composed of C-S-H, ettringite and CH. Moreover, the addition of fine particles would accelerate cement hydration, as it provided additional surfaces to help the nucleating and growing of hydrates.