The Structure, Stoichiometry and Properties of C-S-H Prepared by C3S Hydration Under Controlled Condition

Hydrations of tricalcium silicate undertaken by keeping constant lime concentration in solution in an open system and in diluted suspensions for different values of [CaO] ranging between 6.5 and 30 mmol/1 show that the lime concentration in solution is the parameter which determines the main characteristics of the reaction and products. The stoichiometry of C3S hydration products vanes with lime concentration in the same way as synthetic C-S-H until C/S c.a. 1.5 corresponding to about [CaO] =20 mmol/1. Beyond this concentration, single phase C-S-H samples were obtained with 1.8<C/S<2. The discontinuity of the variation of stoichiometry with concentration is characteristic of an invariant po…