Strength and hydration products of reactive MgO–silica pastes

Jin, F. and Al-Tabbaa, A. (2014) Strength and hydration products of reactive MgO–silica pastes. Cement and Concrete Composites, 52, pp. 27-33. (doi: 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2014.04.003)

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Abstract

The reaction between MgO and microsilica has been studied by many researchers, who confirmed the formation of magnesium silicate hydrate. The blend was reported to have the potential as a novel material for construction and environment purposes. However, the characteristics of MgO vary significantly, e.g., reactivity and purity, which would have an effect on the hydration process of MgO–silica blend. This paper investigated the strength and hydration products of reactive MgO and silica blend at room temperature up to 90 days. The existence of magnesium silicate hydrate after 7 days’ curing was confirmed with the help of infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction. The microstructural and elemental analysis of the resulting magnesium silicate hydrate was conducted using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. In addition, the effect of characteristics of MgO on the hydration process was discussed. It was found that the synthesis of magnesium silicate hydrate was highly dependent on the reactivity of the precursors. MgO and silica with higher reactivity resulted in higher formation rate of magnesium silicate hydrate. In addition, the impurity in the MgO affects the pH value of the blends, which in turn determines the solubility of silica and the formation of magnesium silicate hydrate.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Jin, Dr Fei
Authors: Jin, F., and Al-Tabbaa, A.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Infrastructure and Environment
Journal Name:Cement and Concrete Composites
Publisher:Elsevier
ISSN:0958-9465
ISSN (Online):1873-393X
Published Online:06 May 2014

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