Title:
Hydration Properties and Physical Characteristics of Belite Cements
Author(s):
Antonio Telesca, Milena Marroccoli, Neluta Ibris, Fulvio Canonico, Daniela Gastaldi
Publication:
Symposium Paper
Volume:
362
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
520-534
Keywords:
elite cements; CO footprint; hydration products; sustainability; technical behaviour
DOI:
10.14359/51741008
Date:
6/14/2024
Abstract:
Belite cements (BCs) have been suggested as innovative environmentally-friendly materials, since they can allow a reduction of CO2 emissions up to about 30% with respect to normal portland cements (NPCs); furthermore, the manufacturing process of BC, compared to that of NPC, is characterized by reduced limestone requirement, lower synthesis temperatures and, consequently, reduced specific fuel consumption. The peculiar composition of BC can also be exploited for achieving valuable technical properties (e.g. better durability against sulfate and carbonation attacks as well as low heat of hydration). This paper examines the influence of temperature (20°C and 40°C) on the hydration behavior and the technical properties of a pilot-scale industrial BC (w/c=0.50) up to 180 days. An NPC class 52.5 R was employed as a reference term. It was found that, compared with NPC, BCs showed lower mechanical properties at early ages (2 days), while at longer curing periods, the compressive strength values were always greater at both 20°C and 40°C. However, stability tests displayed that BCs shrank less than NPC in the air, while they exhibited approximately the same expansion values when submerged in water. BC pastes showed the best hydration behavior for curing periods longer than 28 days.