Effect of Predrying Temperature on Carbonation of Alkali-Activated Slag Pastes
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 34, Issue 6
Abstract
According to standard testing methods, predrying of portland cement (PC) usually is required as a preconditioning step before the determination of carbonation. However, the hydration process, the hydration products, and the microstructure of alkali-activated slag (AAS) differ from those of PC, and little research has focused on the effects of conventional predrying methods (applying to PC) on the microstructure change and carbonation process of AAS. To study the effect of predrying temperature on the carbonation performance of alkali-activated slag, AAS pastes were prepared with the activator of sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The carbonation depth of AAS was characterized by phenolphthalein spraying, differential thermogravimetry (DTG), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray computed tomography (CT) at predrying temperatures of 40°C and 60°C. The results showed that predrying temperature had a remarkable effect on the degree of drying in the matrix. The higher the drying temperature, the greater was the water loss rate due to the inward movement of the actual evaporation surface. Higher predrying temperature also resulted in changed hydration products, and more hydrotalcite was detected in the AAS specimens conditioned at a predrying temperature of 60°C. Compared with the lower predrying temperature of 40°C, the predrying temperature of 60°C led to a coarse microstructure and cracks in AAS, resulting in greater carbonation.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
The authors greatly acknowledge the support provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51778132) and the support from the “333 Project” funded by Jiangsu Province in 2020 (BRA2020221).
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 34 • Issue 6 • June 2022
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© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: May 21, 2021
Accepted: Oct 6, 2021
Published online: Mar 18, 2022
Published in print: Jun 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Aug 18, 2022
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