Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement Pastes Research Articles

Rheological and hydration characterization of calcium sulfoaluminate cement pastes

Calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cements are currently receiving a lot of attention because their manufacture produces less CO2 than ordinary Portland cement (OPC). However, it is essential to understand all parameters which may affect the hydration processes. This work deals with the study of the effect of several parameters, such as superplasticizer (SP), gypsum contents (10, 20 and 30 wt.%) and w/c ratio (0.4 and 0.5), on the properties of CSA pastes during early hydration. This characterization has been performed through rheological studies, Rietveld quantitative phase analysis of measured X-ray diffraction patterns, thermal analysis and mercury porosimetry for pastes, and by compressive strength measurements for mortars. The effect of the used SP on the rheological properties has been established. Its addition makes little difference to the amount of ettringite formed but strongly decreases the large pore fraction in the pastes. Furthermore, the SP role on compressive strength is variable, as it increases the values for mortars containing 30 wt.% gypsum but decreases the strengths for mortars containing 10 wt.% gypsum.

Early hydration of calcium sulfoaluminate cement through electrical resistivity measurement and microstructure investigations

The electrical resistivities of the calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement pastes at different water to cement ( W/ C) ratios, over a period of 1440 min (or 24 h) were measured by a non-contacting electrical resistivity apparatus. The electrical resistivity–time curve decreased slightly after mixing, and then increased sharply around the setting time, followed by two peaks, and finally developed at a very low rate up to 1440 min. The porosity plays a dominant role in the electrical resistivity development of the CSA cement paste in the earlier period of hydration (before the initial setting time), while the ion concentration plays a major role at the later period (after the second peak). The electrical resistivity–time curve demonstrates the process of ettringite formation and transformation to monosulfate in the CSA hydration system, and this is confirmed by the SEM and XRD observations. The high temperature and the insufficiency of gypsum in the CSA cement system during hydration result in the decomposition of ettringite at the first peak, while at the second peak the decomposition of ettringite is due to the lack of gypsum. The relationship between W/ C and electrical resistivity at 1 h follows a negative trend but a positive trend is observed at 24 h. The relationship between the compressive strength and the electrical resistivity at 24 h for the different W/ C ratios follows a negative relationship.

A porosimetric study of calcium sulfoaluminate cement pastes cured at early ages

Calcium sulfoaluminate and Portland cement pastes, both prepared with a water/solid mass ratio equal to 0.5 and cured for time periods comprised between 2 h and 28 days, show completely different pore size distributions by mercury intrusion. Portland cement pastes aged at 12 h and 1 day exhibit a unimodal distribution of pore sizes related to a continuous network of capillary pores with a threshold pore radius decreasing from nearly 650 to 350 nm. After 7 and 28 days of curing, this parameter shifts to about 150 nm and a region having smaller pores appears (with a second threshold pore radius roughly comprised between 10 and 30 nm), made discontinuous by blockages of hydration products which occlude the interconnected pore system and isolate the interior space. For calcium sulfoaluminate cement pastes, a bimodal distribution is rapidly established, in which the regions with a lower porosity (threshold pore radii up to about 25 nm) are dominant, while the decrease of total porosity almost ceases at later ages. The porosimetric behaviour of calcium sulfoaluminate-based cement is related to its very fast hydration rate and to the lack of water needed to continue the hydration reactions.