Search results for "C-S-H"
showing 10 items of 14 documents
Onset of cohesion in cement paste
2004
It is generally agreed that the cohesion of cement paste occurs through the formation of a network of nanoparticles of a calcium-silicate-hydrate ("C-S-H"). However, the mechanism by which these particles develop this cohesion has not been established. Here we propose a dielectric continuum model which includes all ionic interactions within a dispersion of C-S-H particles. It takes into account all co-ions and counterions explicitly (with pure Coulomb interactions between ions and between ions and the surfaces) and makes no further assumptions concerning their hydration or their interactions with the surface sites. At high surface charge densities, the model shows that the surface charge of…
Experimental study of Si–Al substitution in calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) prepared under equilibrium conditions.
2009
International audience; C-A-S-H of varying Al/Si and Ca/(Al+Si) ratios have been prepared introducing C-S-H (Ca/Si=0.66 and 0.95) at different weight concentrations in a solution coming from the hydration of tricalcium aluminate (Ca3Al2O6) in water. XRD and EDX (TEM) analyses show that using this typical synthesise procedure, pure C-A-S-H is obtained only for calcium hydroxide concentrations below 4.5 mmol L−1. Otherwise, calcium carboaluminate or strätlingite is also present beside C-A-S-H. The tobermorite-like structure is maintained for C-A-S-H. A kinetic study has shown that the formation of C-A-S-H is a fast reaction, typically less than a few hours. The Ca/(Al+Si) ratio of C-A-S-H mat…
Revised Atomistic Models of the Crystal Structure of C–S–H with high C/S Ratio
2016
Abstract The atomic structure of calcium-silicate-hydrate (C1.67–S–H x ) has been studied. Atomistic C–S–H models suggested in our previous study have been revised in order to perform a direct comparison of energetic stability of the different structures. An extensive set of periodic structures of C–S–H with variation of water content was created, and then optimized using molecular dynamics with reactive force field ReaxFF and quantum chemical semiempirical method PM6. All models show organization of water molecules inside the structure of C–S–H. The new geometries of C–S–H, reported in this paper, show lower relative energy with respect to the geometries from the original definition of C–S…
In situ analysis of suspensions of calcium silicate hydrate : application to the study of ionics interactions at the surface of the particules
2014
This project aims to study the interactions between calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) and different anions (chlorides, bromides, nitrates and sulfates) in order to build a thermodynamic model and then be predictable. The simplified system CaO-SiO2-H2O is studied by synthesizing C-S-H suspensions and mixing them with different kind of salts (calcium salt or alkali salt). The influence of the temperature and the presence of aluminum in the structure of the C-S-H is also examined.A classical way to investigate this kind of system is to separate the liquid phase from the solid phase in order to analyze them separately. Nevertheless, this step has a large influence on the system, and the experime…
C-S-H/solution interface: Experimental and Monte Carlo studies
2010
International audience; The surface charge density of C-S-H particles appears to be one of the key parameters for predicting the cohesion strength, understanding the ion retention, the pollutant leakage, and admixture adsorption in hydrated cement pastes. This paper presents a Monte Carlo simulation of the surface-ions interactions that permits the prediction of surface charge density (σ), electrokinetic potential (ζ) and ions adsorption of mineral surfaces in equilibrium with a given electrolyte solution. Simulated results are compared to experimental data obtained by titration, electrokinetic potential measurements and ions uptake in the case of C-S-H suspensions. An excellent agreement i…
Influence of temperature on the hydration products of low pH cements
2012
International audience; The chemical evolution of two hydrated "low pH" binders prepared from binary (60% Portland cement + 40% silica fume) or ternary (37.5% Portland cement +32.5% silica fume + 30% fly-ash) mixtures was characterized over one year at 20 degrees C. 50 degrees C, and 80 degrees C. The main hydrates were Al-substituted C-S-H. Raising the temperature from 20 to 80 degrees C caused a lengthening and cross-linking of their silicate chains. Ettringite that formed in pastes stored at 20 degrees C was destabilized. Only traces of calcium sulfate (gypsum and/or anhydrite) reprecipitated after one year in some materials cured at 50 degrees C and 80 degrees C. The sulfates released w…
Controlling the cohesion of cement paste
2005
The main source of cohesion in cement paste is the nanoparticles of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H), which are formed upon the dissolution of the original tricalcium silicate (C(3)S). The interaction between highly charged C-S-H particles in the presence of divalent calcium counterions is strongly attractive because of ion-ion correlations and a negligible entropic repulsion. Traditional double-layer theory based on the Poisson-Boltzmann equation becomes qualitatively incorrect in these systems. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations in the framework of the primitive model of electrolyte solution is then an alternative, where ion-ion correlations are properly included. In addition to divalent calciu…
Modelling the cement-latex interactions : experimental and simulation approach : Consequences on the rheological propertiec
2014
Latex is used in industrial mortars to improve the material properties. This behaviour is obviously related to the interactions between cement phases and latex which are still not understood. In this frame, the aim of the present work is to understand the role of latexes in mortar in particular how the various latex characteristics, such as the latex chemistry surface, or the latex size, influence the characteristics of this complex granular system. The major issue concerns the reactivity of the cement: indeed, several parameters are modified during cement hydration which governs the development of the paste mechanical properties. Consequently in order to avoid side effects due to cement hy…
Atomistic modeling of crystal structure of Ca1.67SiHx
2015
The atomic structure of calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-1.67-S-H-x) has been investigated by theoretical methods in order to establish a better insight into its structure. Three models for C-S-H all derived from tobermorite are proposed and a large number of structures were created within each model by making a random distribution of silica oligomers of different size within each structure. These structures were subjected to structural relaxation by geometry optimization and molecular dynamics steps. That resulted in a set of energies within each model. Despite an energy distribution between individual structures within each model, significant energy differences are observed between the three m…
Al-27 and Si-29 Solid-State NMR Characterization of Calcium-Aluminosilicate-Hydrate
2012
International audience; Calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) is the main constituent of hydrated cement paste and determines its cohesive properties. Because of the environmental impact of cement industry, it is more and more common to replace a part of the clinker in cement by secondary cementitious materials (SCMs). These SCMs are generally alumina-rich and as a consequence some aluminum is incorporated into the C-S-H. This may have consequences on the cohesion and durability of the material, and it is thus of importance to know the amount and the location of Al in C-S-H and what the parameters are that control these features. The present paper reports the Si-29 and Al-27 MAS NMR analyses of …