Hydration Process and Compressive Strength of Slag-CFBC Fly Ash Materials without Portland Cement
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 27, Issue 7
Abstract
This study mixed ground granulated blast-furnace slag (S) and circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC) fly ash (CA) without any portland cement or alkaline activator to produce an eco-binder, abbreviated as SCA binder. The hydration process, microstructure, and compressive strength of hydrated SCA materials were investigated. Although both the slag and CA had poor hydration with water, the SCA binder produced satisfactory hydration products with sufficient cementitious properties. These hydration products detected by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were ettringite (AFt), calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H), and calcium aluminosilicate hydrate (C-A-S-H). The scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrograph showed these hydration products formed dense microstructure for SCA pastes. As a result, the SCA materials had sufficient compressive strength for practical applications in building materials and civil engineering structures. The compressive strengths of the SCA paste and mortar reached 75 MPa at 28 days. Moreover, the SCA concretes met the requirements for structural concrete. An equation to predict the compressive strengths of the SCA concrete was proposed and agreed well with the experimental results.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The author Nguyen Tien Dung gratefully acknowledges the financial support of this work by National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST) (Taiwan Tech) through the scholarships. The chemical tests were carried out at the Department of Chemical Engineering of NTUST by valuable assistance of Mr. Vo Duc Thang.
References
Álvarez-Ayuso, E., and Nugteren, H. W. (2005). “Synthesis of ettringite: A way to deal with the acid wastewaters of aluminium anodising industry.” Water Res., 39(1), 65–72.
American Concrete Institute (ACI). (1991). “Standard practice for selecting proportions for normal, heavyweight, and mass concrete.”, Farmington Hills, MI.
American Concrete Institute (ACI). (1992). “Prediction of creep, shrinkage, and temperature effects in concrete structures.”, Farmington Hills, MI.
Armesto, L., and Merino, J. L. (1999). “Characterization of some coal combustion solid residues.” Fuel, 78(5), 613–618.
ASTM. (1999a). “Standard test method for compressive strength of cylindrical concrete specimens.”, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (1999b). “Standard test method for compressive strength of hydraulic cement mortars [using 2-in. or (50-mm) cube specimens].”, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2012). “Standard specification for coal fly ash and raw or calcined natural pozzolan for use as a mineral admixture in concrete.” C 618-12a, West Conshohocken, PA.
Bernardo, G., Telesca, A., Valenti, G. L., and Montagnaro, F. (2004). “Role of ettringite in the reuse of hydrated fly ash from fluidized-bed combustion as a sulfur sorbent: A hydration study.” Ind. Eng. Chem. Res, 43(15), 4054–4059.
Carmona Quiroga, P. M., and Blanco Varela, M. T. (2013). “Ettringite decomposition in the presence of barium carbonate.” Cem. Concr. Res., 52, 140–148.
Chi, M., and Huang, R. (2014). “Effect of circulating fluidized bed combustion ash on the properties of roller compacted concrete.” Cem. Concr. Compos., 45(0), 148–156.
Dongxu, L., Xuequan, W., Jinlin, S., and Yujiang, W. (2000). “The influence of compound admixtures on the properties of high-content slag cement.” Cem. Concr. Res., 30(1), 45–50.
Dung, N., Chang, T., and Yang, T. (2014). “Performance evaluation of an eco-binder made with slag and CFBC fly ash.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 04014096.
Duxson, P., and Provis, J. L. (2008). “Designing precursors for geopolymer cements.” J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 91(12), 3864–3869.
Fu, X., Li, Q., Zhai, J., Sheng, G., and Li, F. (2008). “The physical–chemical characterization of mechanically-treated CFBC fly ash.” Cem. Concr. Compos., 30(3), 220–226.
García Lodeiro, I., Macphee, D. E., Palomo, A., and Fernández-Jiménez, A. (2009). “Effect of alkalis on fresh C–S–H gels. FTIR analysis.” Cem. Concr. Res., 39(3), 147–153.
Ghafoori, N., and Mora, C. A. G. (1998). “Compacted non-cement concrete utilizing fluidized bed and pulverized coal combustion by-products.” ACI Mater. J., 95(5), 582–592.
Glinicki, M., and Zielinski, M. (2009). “Frost salt scaling resistance of concrete containing CFBC fly ash.” Mater. Struct., 42(7), 993–1002.
Gruskovnjak, A., et al. (2011). “Quantification of hydration phases in supersulfated cements: Review and new approaches.” Adv. Cem. Res., 23(6), 265–275.
Guo Li, X., Bin Chen, Q., Guo Ma, B., Huang, J., Wei Jian, S., and Wu, B. (2012a). “Utilization of modified CFBC desulfurization ash as an admixture in blended cements: Physico-mechanical and hydration characteristics.” Fuel, 102, 674–680.
Guo Li, X., Bin Chen, Q., Zhong Huang, K., Guo Ma, B., and Wu, B. (2012b). “Cementitious properties and hydration mechanism of circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC) desulfurization ashes.” Constr. Build. Mater., 36, 182–187.
Iribarne, J., Iribarne, A., Blondin, J., and Anthony, E. J. (2001). “Hydration of combustion ashes—A chemical and physical study.” Fuel, 80(6), 773–784.
Juenger, M. C. G., Winnefeld, F., Provis, J. L., and Ideker, J. H. (2011). “Advances in alternative cementitious binders.” Cem. Concr. Res., 41(12), 1232–1243.
Lanzón, M., and García-Ruiz, P. A. (2012). “Effect of citric acid on setting inhibition and mechanical properties of gypsum building plasters.” Constr. Build. Mater., 28(1), 506–511.
Lecuyer, I., Bicocchi, S., Ausset, P., and Lefevre, R. (1996). “Physico-chemical characterization and leaching of desulphurization coal fly ash.” Waste Manage. Res., 14(1), 15–28.
Li, C., Sun, H., and Li, L. (2010). “A review: The comparison between alkali-activated slag (Si +Ca) and metakaolin (Si + Al) cements.” Cem. Concr. Res., 40(9), 1341–1349.
Li, D., Zhong, F., Guo, Q., Lu, J., Zhang, J., and Yue, G. (2007). “Properties of flash hydrated and agglomerated particles of CFB fly ashes.” Fuel Process. Technol., 88(3), 215–220.
Lothenbach, B. (2010). “Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations in cementitious systems.” Mater. Struct., 43(10), 1413–1433.
Marks, M., Jóźwiak-Niedźwiedzka, D., Glinicki, M., Olek, J., and Marks, M. (2012). “Assessment of scaling durability of concrete with CFBC ash by automatic classification rules.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 860–867.
Mehrotra, V. P., Sai, A. S. R., and Kapur, P. C. (1982). “Plaster of Paris activated supersulfated slag cement.” Cem. Concr. Res., 12(4), 463–473.
Montagnaro, F., Nobili, M., Salatino, P., Telesca, A., and Valenti, G. L. (2008). “Hydration products of FBC wastes as SO2 sorbents: Comparison between ettringite and calcium hydroxide.” Fuel Process. Technol., 89(1), 47–54.
Payá, J., Monzó, J., Borrachero, M. V., Velázquez, S., and Bonilla, M. (2003). “Determination of the pozzolanic activity of fluid catalytic cracking residue. Thermogravimetric analysis studies on FC3R–lime pastes.” Cem. Concr. Res., 33(7), 1085–1091.
Renaudin, G., Filinchuk, Y., Neubauer, J., and Goetz-Neunhoeffer, F. (2010). “A comparative structural study of wet and dried ettringite.” Cem. Concr. Res., 40(3), 370–375.
Sheng, G., Li, Q., and Zhai, J. (2012). “Investigation on the hydration of CFBC fly ash.” Fuel, 98, 61–66.
Sheng, G., Li, Q., Zhai, J., and Li, F. (2007). “Self-cementitious properties of fly ashes from CFBC boilers co-firing coal and high-sulphur petroleum coke.” Cem. Concr. Res., 37(6), 871–876.
Shon, C.-S., Mukhopadhyay, A. K., Saylak, D., Zollinger, D. G., and Mejeoumov, G. G. (2010). “Potential use of stockpiled circulating fluidized bed combustion ashes in controlled low strength material (CLSM) mixture.” Constr. Build. Mater., 24(5), 839–847.
Sievert, T., Wolter, A., and Singh, N. B. (2005). “Hydration of anhydrite of gypsum (CaSO4.II) in a ball mill.” Cem. Concr. Res., 35(4), 623–630.
Song, S., and Jennings, H. M. (1999). “Pore solution chemistry of alkali-activated ground granulated blast-furnace slag.” Cem. Concr. Res., 29(2), 159–170.
Taylor, H. F. W. (1986). “Proposed structure for calcium silicate hydrate gel.” J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 69(6), 464–467.
Taylor, H. F. W. (1993). “Nanostructure of C-S-H: Current status.” Adv. Cem. Based Mater., 1(1), 38–46.
Uchikawa, H., and Uchida, S. (1974). “The analysis of ettringite in hardened cement paste.” Cem. Concr. Res., 4(5), 821–834.
Wang, J., Wu, Y., and Anthony, E. J. (2005). “The hydration behavior of partially sulfated fluidized bed combustor sorbent.” Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 44(22), 8199–8204.
Wang, X.-Y., Lee, H.-S., Park, K.-B., Kim, J.-J., and Golden, J. S. (2010). “A multi-phase kinetic model to simulate hydration of slag–cement blends.” Cem. Concr. Compos., 32(6), 468–477.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 27 • Issue 7 • July 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 17, 2014
Accepted: Aug 7, 2014
Published online: Sep 19, 2014
Discussion open until: Feb 19, 2015
Published in print: Jul 1, 2015
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.