Synthesis of chemically controlled cementitious materials using organic steric entrapment (OSE) method: Process, advantages, and characterisation

Abstract

Synthetic cementitious materials are critical for investigating the fundamental reaction mechanisms of different cementitious systems. The organic steric entrapment method (OSE) has been introduced as a chemical route of ceramic synthesis. However, cementitious materials syntheses using the OSE have yet to be comprehensively studied. This paper demonstrates the versatility and efficiency of the OSE by providing a systematic process of synthesising Ye'elimite, tricalcium silicate (C3S), and pozzolan to GBFS-like glasses. Pure Ye'elimite could be produced at 1250 °C with only one sintering cycle. Also, highly pure C3S was synthesised at 1600 °C within a single sintering cycle. Moreover, low-temperature OSE synthesis (≤ 900 °C) of amorphous calcium aluminosilicate materials often used in previous studies cannot truly represent the behaviour of industrial GBFS or the amorphous phase of fly ash in an alkali-activated system. In particular, the silicate structure and materials' reactivities highly depend on the synthesis temperature.