Hydration mechanism of cements based on low-CO2 clinkers containing belite, ye'elimite and calcium alumino-ferrite

The objective of this work was to better understand the hydration mechanisms of cements belonging to the family of BCSAF cement in order to develop simple mechanistic models which can help us to optimise mixtures of BCSAF clinker and other compounds for specific applications. The studied cements were made from a clinker containing 52% of belite, 33% of ye'elimite and 14% of a ferrite phase and various amounts of anhydrite and limestone. From the detailed investigation of the hydration of cement containing 95% of clinker and 5% of anhydrite, it has been demonstrated that the mechanism of hydration has two main successive periods of hydration: the beginning of hydration is controlled by ye'elimite and anhydrite, while the remaining of hydration is governed by belite and the ferrite phase that react with some of the hydrates formed during the first period. It is C2ASH8 nucleation rate that governs the beginning of the hydration of belite. The main parameter that governs the nucleation rate of stratlingite is [SO4]2- that has to be low. C-S-H does not form as the initial hydrate for belite hydration because it is not saturated in the beginning due to low calcium and silicon concentration and its formation is further delayed later by the inhibition effect of high aluminate concentration on C-S-H nucleation. As a consequence, this is indirectly the sulphate concentration that controls the beginning of belite hydration and thus the reactions leading to its reduction, mainly the hydration of ye'elimite to form ettringite. Globally it is once ye'elimite has been completely reacted that stratlingite may nucleate. A synergy between the reactions of belite and ferrite is found to accelerate the formation of later hydrate, hydrogarnet and C-S-H at the expense of stratlingite. A similar mechanism of hydration has been found for cements having higher anhydrite contents at the exception of cements that have more anhydrite than the theoretical anhydrite content to consume all ye'elimite to form ettringite. For the former cements, more anhydrite can strongly delay the second period of the hydration where both belite and ferrite react. In the later cases, the mechanism of hydration is quite different as belite does start to react till the beginning of hydration certainly forming either a Si containing ettringite or C-S-H. The influence of 15% of limestone was investigated on the cement containing 95% of clinker and 5% of anhydrite. The results showed that limestone did not change the first period involving anhydrite and ye'elimite, but strongly delayed the beginning of the second period where both belite and ferrite hydrate. This may be due to a delayed nucleation of stratlingite induced by a longer period having higher [SO4]2- as ettringite is stabilised by the precipitation of carbonated AFm at the expense of calcium monosulfoaluminate hydrate, thanks to the carbonate ions brought by limestone. Finally some perspectives are given in order to reduce the duration of the first period and then to enable the hydration of both belite and ferrite more rapidly.