INFLUENCE OF FERRITE PHASE IN ALITE-CALCIUM SULFOALUMINATE CEMENTS

Since the energy crisis in 1970’s, research on low energy cements with low CO2-emissions has been increasing. Numerous solutions have been investigated, and the goal of this original research is to create a viable hybrid cement with the components of both Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and calcium sulfoaluminate cement (CSAC), by forming a material that contains both alite and calcium sulfoaluminate clinker phases. Furthermore, this research focuses on keeping the cost of this material reasonable by reducing aluminum requirements through its substitution with iron. The aim of this work would produce a cement that can use large amounts of red mud, which is a plentiful waste material, in place of bauxite known as an expensive raw material. Modified Bogue equations were established and tested to formulate this novel cement with different amounts of ferrite, from 5% to 45% by weight. This was followed by the production of cement from reagent chemicals, and from industrial by-products as feedstocks (fly ash, red mud and slag). Hydration processes, as well as the mechanical properties, of these clinker compositions were studied, along with the addition of gypsum and the impact of a ferric iron complexing additive triisopropanolamine (TIPA). To summarize this research, the influence of the addition of 5-45% by weight of ferrite phase, was examined with the goal of introducing as much red mud as possible in the process without negatively attenuate the cement properties. Based on this PhD dissertation, the production of high-iron alite-calcium sulfoaluminate-ferrite cements was proven possible from the two sources of raw materials. The hydration processes and the mechanical properties seemed negatively affected by the addition of ferrite, as this phase was not hydrated entirely, even after 6 months of curing. The usage of TIPA counteracted this decline in strength by improving the ferrite hydration and increasing the optimum amount of gypsum required in each composition. The mechanical data were equivalent to OPC strengths for some compositions with 25% ferrite. This preliminary work constitutes the first research phase of this novel cement and requires additional research for its improvement. Topics for additional research are identified in this dissertation

Hybrid Cement Clinker and Cement Made from That Clinker

A hybrid cement clinker incorporates specific ranges of clinker phases and falls within specific modulus values as set forth and described in this document

Alite calcium sulfoaluminate cement: chemistry and thermodynamics

Calcium sulfoaluminate (C$A) cement is a binder of increasing interest to the cement industry and is undergoing rapid development. Current formulations do not contain alite; however, alite calcium sulfoaluminate (a-C$A) cements can combine the favourable characteristics of Portland cement (PC) with those of C$A cement while also having a lower carbon dioxide footprint than the current generation of PC clinkers. This paper presents two results on the formation of a-C$A clinkers. The first is a thermodynamic study demonstrating that the production of a-C$A clinker is possible without the use of mineralisers, doping with foreign elements, or using multiple stages of heating. It is established that a-C$A clinker can be readily produced in a standard process by controlling the oxygen and sulfur dioxide fugacity in the atmosphere. This allows for the stabilisation of ye’elimite to the higher temperatures required for alite stability. The second result establishes that when using fluorine to mineralise a-C$A clinker production, the iron content in the clinker is also an important variable. Although the exact mechanism of alite stabilisation is not known, it is shown that alite formation increases with the combination of calcium fluoride and iron (III) oxide in the mix