Influence of pozzolanic additives on hydration mechanisms of tricalcium silicate

Pozzolanic mineral additives, such as silica fume (SF) and metakaolin (MK), are used to partially replace cement in concrete. This study employs extensive experimentation and simulations to elucidate and contrast the influence of SF and MK on the early age hydration rates of tricalcium silicate (triclinic C3S), the major phase in cement. Results show that at low replacement levels (i.e., 10%), both SF and MK accelerate C3S hydration rates via the filler effect, that is, enhanced heterogeneous nucleation of the main hydration product (C-S-H: calcium-silicate-hydrate) on the extra surfaces provided by the additive. The filler effect of SF is inferior to that of MK because of agglomeration of the fine particles of SF, which causes significant reduction (i.e., up to 97%) in its surface area. At higher replacement levels (i.e., 20%), while SF continues to serve as a filler, the propensity of MK to allow nucleation of C-S-H on its surface is substantially suppressed. This reversal in the filler effect of MK is attributed to the abundance of aluminate [Al(OH)(4)(-)] ions in the solutionreleased from the dissolution of MKwhich inhibit topographical sites for C-S-H nucleation and impede its subsequent growth. Results also show that in the first 24hours of hydration, MK is a superior pozzolan compared to SF. However, the pozzolanic activities of both SF and MK are limited and, thus, do not produce significant alterations in the early age hydration kinetics of C3S. Overall, the outcomes of this study provide novel insights into the mechanistic origins of the filler and pozzolanic effects of SF and MK, and their impact on cementitious reaction rates.