Thermal analysis of high-performance mortar containing burnt clay shale as a partial portland cement replacement in the temperature range up to 1000°C

Clay shale is a specific type of material that contains a large amount of kaolinite. Burnt clay shale belongs to a large group of pozzolans, and its pozzolanic properties are activated after burning at temperatures similar to those when kaolinite is transformed into metakaolin. In this study, fine powder of burnt clay shale was used for the design of a high-performance mortar as a partial replacement for portland cement up to 60wt.%. The prepared specimens were subjected to a thermal analysis by using differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, and thermodilatometry. The investigation was performed in the temperature range 25-1000 degrees C. The basic physical and mechanical properties were studied as well. It was demonstrated that it is possible to design and produce a high-performance mortar containing fine burnt clay shale powder and that an appropriate amount of this replacement is up to 20wt.%. Copyright (c) 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.