From C–S–H to C–A–S–H: Experimental study and thermodynamic modelling

Abstract It has long been known that the stoichiometry of C–S–H varies with the calcium hydroxide concentration in solution. However, this issue is still far from understood. We revisit it in both experimental and modelling aspects. A careful analysis of the solubility confirms the existence of three different C–S–H phases, defined as Ca 4 H 4 Si 5 O 16 , Ca 2 H 2 Si 2 O 7 and Ca 6 (HSi 2 O 7 ) 2 (OH) 2 , respectively. The variation of the Ca/Si ratio of the three phases has been described by surface reactions: the increase of the Si content is accounted for by silicate bridging, the increase of calcium content and the surface charge are accounted for by reactions involving silanol groups v…