Technical Papers
Nov 7, 2023

Durability of Magnesium Oxychloride Cement in Application: Phase Composition Transition and Microstructure Characteristics

Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36, Issue 1

Abstract

To study the durability of magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) in practical applications, samples from 6 to 80 years in different regions of China, including both north and south China, were collected. Phase composition and microstructure of MOC were analyzed, and phase transition patterns and microstructure characteristics of MOC were explored. The results show that, for MOC material, the main hydration product is 5Mg(OH)2·MgCl2·8H2O (phase 5·1·8), and the carbonation products are Mg(OH)2·MgCl2·2MgCO3·6H2O (phase 1·1·2·6) and 4MgCO3·Mg(OH)2·4H2O (phase 4·1·4). For MOC samples with ages less than 20 years, the content of phase 5·1·8 and the total content of carbonized phases (phase 1·1·2·6 and phase 4·1·4) increases and decreases in turn. The change of the total content of the carbonized phase is opposite to that of the phase 5·1·8 and is affected by phase 5·1·8. A calculation formula for the carbonation degree of MOC material system is proposed. The calculation results show that when the age is less than 14 years, the carbonation rate of MOC samples in the dry environment from north China is slow, but obviously increases when the age exceeds 14 years. Carbonation degree of the MOC samples at 6 years in the high humid environment of south China is close to that of the samples at about 20 years in north China. The crystal morphologies of different phases in MOC are varied. There are needle rod-like and flocculent crystals of phase 5·1·8, short rod-like crystals of phase 1·1·2·6, flaky crystals of phase 4·1·4, and nubbly crystals of MgCO3 in MOC. Phase 5·1·8 ensures the integrity of the glass fiber, while sawdust shows disadvantages on the long-term service of MOC.

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Data Availability Statement

Some or all data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request.

Acknowledgments

The partial financial support from the One-Hundred Talent Project of CAS granted to HFY (B0210), the Qinghai Province Science and Technology Tackling Key Project (Grant No. 2008-G-158), Youth Innovation Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. 2019423), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52208254) are greatly acknowledged.

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Go to Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36Issue 1January 2024

History

Received: Mar 17, 2023
Accepted: Jun 29, 2023
Published online: Nov 7, 2023
Published in print: Jan 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Apr 7, 2024

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Master’s Student, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Nanjing Univ. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, No. 29, Yudao St., Nanjing 210016, PR China. Email: [email protected]
Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Nanjing Univ. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, No. 29, Yudao St., Nanjing 210016, PR China (corresponding author). Email: [email protected]
Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Nanjing Univ. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, No. 29, Yudao St., Nanjing 210016, PR China. Email: [email protected]
Tianyang Shi [email protected]
Postgraduate Researcher, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Nanjing Univ. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, No. 29, Yudao St., Nanjing 210016, PR China. Email: [email protected]
Research Associate, Key Laboratory of Salt Lake Resources Chemistry of Qinghai Province, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai 810008, PR China. Email: [email protected]
Postdoctoral Associate, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Nanjing Univ. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, No. 29, Yudao St., Nanjing 210016, PR China. Email: [email protected]

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