ABSTRACT
Increasing utilization of secondary raw materials and alternative fuels results in increasing contents of metals in cements. Zinc is one of these elements. It comes to cement with secondary raw materials such as slag or fly ash or by the utilization of used tires as an alternative fuel. Zinc ions significantly prolong the hydration process in cement. This work deals with the influence of zinc ions in the form of very poorly soluble ZnO salt and easily soluble ZnCl2 and Zn(NO3)2 on the hydration of cement blended with fly ash. Zinc was dosed in the range of 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.5% and 1% of cement weight. The effect of zinc on hydration was monitored by isothermal and isoperibolic calorimetry. A 15% addition of fly ash to cement mainly causes further retardation of hydration reactions due to the reactions of fly ash particles with Ca2+ ions from cement. The strongest effect on the hydration retardation from all investigated compounds showed in ZnO as it dissolves very slowly. On the contrary, for the dosage of 1% of zinc in the form of ZnCl2 significant acceleration of hydration occurred. In this work, a synergistic effect on the prolongation of hydration with a combination of cement, zinc and fly ash was demonstrated. The lengths of induction periods were assessed from detected calorimetric curves and from these lengths the curves were gained by fitting with the exponential function. Final products were next analyzed using X-ray diffraction.
ABSTRACT
This work deals with the influence of zinc on cement hydration. The amount of zinc in cement has increased over recent years. This is mainly due to the utilization of solid waste and tires, which are widely used as a fuel in a rotary kiln. Zinc can also be introduced to cement through such secondary raw materials as slag, due to increased recycling of galvanized materials. The aim of this work was to determine the effect of zinc on the hydration of Portland cement, blended with ground blast furnace slag (GBFS). This effect was studied by isothermal and isoperibolic calorimetry. Both calorimetry methods are suitable for measurements during the first days of hydration. Isoperibolic calorimetry monitors the hydration process in real-life conditions, while isothermal calorimetry does so at a defined chosen temperature. Zinc was added to the cement in the form of two soluble salts, namely Zn(NO3)2, ZnCl2, and a poorly soluble compound, ZnO. The concentration of added zinc was chosen to be 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, and 1mass percent. The amount of GBFS replacement was 15% of cement dosage. The newly formed hydration products were identified by X-ray diffraction method (XRD).
