Influence of Nanosilica and Superplasticizer Incorporation on the Hydration, Strength, and Microstructure of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement Pastes
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35, Issue 7
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of incorporating three types of nanosilica (NS), two powders, and one colloidal suspension on the hydration, strength, and microstructure of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement pastes prepared with and without a superplasticizer (SP). X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and compressive strength tests were performed after 2, 5, and 28 days of hydration. The results showed that both NS powders delayed cement hydration at an early age, which was attributed to particle agglomeration (confirmed by dynamic light scattering). Whereas well-dispersed colloidal NS did not significantly affect the hydration of CSA at the investigated ages. SP incorporation improved the dispersion of CSA cement particles, resulting in a 10% increase in the degree of hydration of ye’elimite at 28 days for the system without NS. Conversely, when the SP was incorporated in NS-containing mixtures, it hindered cement hydration of the systems with powdered NS, but did not significantly affect the cement hydration of the system containing colloidal NS. The SEM images suggested that the SP changed the ettringite morphology, thereby negatively affecting the mechanical strength of the CSA pastes.
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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 acknowledge the Brazilian governmental funding agencies Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) under the projects 208380/2017-5 and 151890/2020-0; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina (FAPESC), and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS) under the project 21/2551-0000723-0. The X-Ray Diffraction Laboratory (LDRX-UFSC) is acknowledged for XRD analysis.
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Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35 • Issue 7 • July 2023
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© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Sep 5, 2022
Accepted: Dec 13, 2022
Published online: May 2, 2023
Published in print: Jul 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Oct 2, 2023
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