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Artificial pozzolanic cement pastes containing burnt clay with and without silica fume

Physicochemical, microstructural and thermal characteristics

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Abstract

Pozzolanic cement blends were prepared by the partial substitution of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with different percentages of burnt clay (BC), Libyan clay fired at 700 °C, of 10, 20, and 30%. The pastes were made using an initial water/solid ratio of 0.30 by mass of each cement blend and hydrated for 1, 3, 7, 28, and 90 days. The pozzolanic OPC–BC blend containing 30% BC was also admixed with 2.5 and 5% silica fume (SF) to improve the physicomechanical characteristics. The hardened pozzolanic cement pastes were subjected to compressive strength and hydration kinetics tests. The results of compressive strength indicated slightly higher values for the paste made of OPC–BC blend containing 10% BC The results of DSC and XRD studies indicated the formation and later the stabilization of calcium silicates hydrates (CSH) and calcium aluminosilicate hydrates (C3ASH4 and C2ASH8) as the main hydration products in addition to free calcium hydroxide (CH). Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) examination revealed that the pozzolanic cement pastes made of OPC–BC mixes possesses a denser structure than that of the neat OPC paste. Furthermore, the addition of SF resulted in a further densification of the microstructure of the hardened OPC–BC–SF pastes; this was reflected on the observed improvement in the compressive strength values at all ages of hydration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

    M. S. Amin & S. A. Abo-El-Enein

  2. Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

    A. Abdel Rahman

  3. Faculty of Science, 7th October University, Misurata, Libya

    Khaled A. Alfalous

Authors
  1. M. S. Amin
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  2. S. A. Abo-El-Enein
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  3. A. Abdel Rahman
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  4. Khaled A. Alfalous
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Correspondence to M. S. Amin.

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Amin, M.S., Abo-El-Enein, S.A., Abdel Rahman, A. et al. Artificial pozzolanic cement pastes containing burnt clay with and without silica fume. J Therm Anal Calorim 107, 1105–1115 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-011-1676-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-011-1676-5

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