Influence of slag chemistry on the hydration of alkali-activated blast-furnace slag - Part I: Effect of MgO

The hydration and the microstructure of three alkali activated slags (AAS) with MgO contents between 8 and 13 wt.% are investigated. The slags were hydrated in the presence of two different alkaline activators, NaOH and Na(2)SiO(3)center dot 5H(2)O (WG). Higher MgO content of the slag resulted in a faster reaction and higher compressive strengths during the first days. The formation of C(-A)-S-H and of a hydrotalcite-like phase was observed in all samples by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. Increasing the MgO content of the slag from 8 to 13% increased the amount of hydrotalcite and lowered the Al uptake by C-S-H resulting in 9% higher volume of the hydrates and a 50 to 80% increase of the compressive strength after 28 days and longer for WG activated slag pastes. For NaOH activated slags only a slight increase of the compressive strength was measured. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.