0000000000190817
AUTHOR
Céline Cau-dit-coumes
On the physico-chemical evolution of low-pH and CEM I cement pastes interacting with Callovo-Oxfordian pore water under its in situ CO2 partial pressure
International audience; Abstract Within the framework of geological repositories for radioactive waste, structural concretes must be adapted to the underground chemical conditions. CEM I cement-based materials are characterised by high pH that may produce an alkaline plume in the near-field of the repository. In order to avoid this problem, low-pH cements have been designed. This study compares the physico-chemical behaviour of a low-pH material with a CEM I cement paste, both being subjected to leaching by an aqueous solution. An original experimental setup was designed to reproduce the underground conditions using a specific CO2 regulation device. Under these conditions, the low-pH materi…
Influence of orthophosphate ions on the dissolution of tricalcium silicate
International audience; Tricalcium silicate dissolution in the presence of orthophosphate ions was monitored by measuring the concentrations of calcium and silicate ions in dilute suspensions using a special dissolution cell coupled to an optical emission spectrometer. Results show that increasing adsorption of orthophosphate ions slows down the dissolution of Ca3SiO5 and that a calcium-phosphate precipitate may form at certain orthophosphate concentrations. These observations are correlated with results of calorimetric experiments carried out during the hydration of silica-rich cement pastes in the presence of the same salts.
Prediction of Long-Term Chemical Evolution of a Low-pH Cement Designed for Underground Radioactive Waste Repositories
Low-pH cements, also referred as low-alkalinity cements, are binders with a pore solution pH ≤ 11. They can be designed by replacing significant amounts of Portland cement (OPC) (≥40 %) by silica fume, which can be associated in some cases to low-CaO fly ash and/or ground granulated blast furnace slag to decrease the heat output during hydration by dilution of OPC and improve the mechanical strength of the final material. With the prospect of using these materials in a geological repository, it is of main importance to estimate their long-term properties and the influence of external and internal factors (chemical composition of the binder, storage temperature) on their characteristics. For…