Deterioration of Cement Pastes Containing Limestone Powder with Different Fineness Exposed to Sulfate Environment at Low Temperature

Abstract:

Limestone filler and aggregates are used widely in cement production and concrete mixing nowadays, which could be connected with thaumasite formation, and lead to a lack of durability further in sulfate environment. This work deals with the deterioration of cement pastes containing 35% w/w limestone powder with different fineness immersed in MgSO₄ solution at 5°C±2°C for 15 weeks by. Erosion phases are discussed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD). Test results show that visual deterioration of three kinds of cement pastes containing 400-mesh, 800-mesh and 1250-mesh limestone powders has little distinction, and erosion phases are all compound of ettringite, thaumasite, gypsum and brucite. Limestone powders with fineness of 400-mesh could supply enough carbonate needed for thaumastie formation. Increase of limestone fineness further could not accelerate deterioration of cement paste during the external magnesium sulfate attack at low temperature.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volumes 423-426)
• Pages: 1076-1080
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.423-426.1076
• Online since: September 2013
• Authors: Feng Chen Zhang*, Ruo Yu Tang, Yun Zhao
• Keywords: Cement Paste, Fineness of Limestone Powder, Magnesium Sulfate Attack

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