Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/214600

Title

Investigation of the cause of disintegration of alkali-activated slag at temperature exposure of 50 degrees C

Author(s)

Guerrieri, Maurice;  Sanjayan, Jay

Abstract

Tests reported in this paper show that alkali-activated slag paste (AASP) can totally disintegrate when exposed to oven drying at 40-50 degrees C with circulating air. This phenomenon has not been previously reported in the literature. Further tests eliminated two possible reasons for the disintegration: (1) carbonation of calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) gel leading to loss of strength and (2) differential shrinkage and cracking leading to disintegration of the samples. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) confirmed that maximum mass loss of about 18% occurred at approximately 40 degrees C. It is postulated that the mass loss is attributed to the loss of chemically-bound water resulting from the disintegration of C-S-H gel and strength loss. This conclusion is arrived in this paper by the process of elimination. Disintegration of AASP at this relatively low temperature is a serious issue and warrants further research on exact cause and possible remedies.

Publication type

Journal article

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences. Centre for Sustainable Infrastructure

Source

Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, Vol. 23, no. 12 (Dec 2011), pp. 1589-1595

Publication year

2011

FOR Code(s)

0905 Civil Engineering;  0912 Materials Engineering

Keyword(s)

Alkali activated slag;  Calcium-silicate-hydrate;  Granulated blast-furnace slag;  Oven drying;  Thermal treatment

Publisher

American Society of Civil Engineers

ISSN

0899-1561

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(asce)mt.1943-5533.0000313

Copyright

Copyright © ASCE.

Peer reviewed