Abstract
In this study it is reported that additions of kaolin, a natural and abundant clay mineral, can significantly increase the early strength of Portland cements. Its effectiveness greatly depends on the particle size which ideally should be less than 500 nm. For example, 5 % by weight of cement of nano-sized kaolin (d ~ 200 nm) increased the 16 h compressive and tensile strengths of a CEM I 42.5 R sample by 50 % and 60 % respectively. Strength enhancement occurs predominantly in slower reacting cements (CEM I 32.5, 42.5). Analysis via heat flow calorimetry and X-ray diffraction revealed that the nano clay in particular activates the hydration of the silicate phases C3S and C2S. Furthermore, rheological measurements evidenced an only minor effect on mortar viscosity. The results suggest that nano-sized kaolin represents an inexpensive additive which can boost the early strength of Portland cement without negatively affecting workability and other properties.
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Baueregger, S., Lei, L., Perello, M., Plank, J. (2015). Use of a Nano Clay for Early Strength Enhancement of Portland Cement. In: Sobolev, K., Shah, S. (eds) Nanotechnology in Construction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17088-6_25
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17088-6_25
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-17087-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-17088-6
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