Synthesis and Structural Characterization of CSH-Phases in the Range of C/S = 0.41 - 1.66 at Temperatures of the Tobermorite Xonotlite Crossover

Abstract

Calcium-Silicate-Hydrate-phases (CSH-phases) are important binding agents of building materials. The synthesis of CSH phases and their structural characterization was done to investigate the crystallization in dependence of an increasing CaO/SiO2 ratio (C/S ratios) from 0.41 up to 1.66 at temperatures in the crossover region of tobermorite to xonotlite (180˚C and 230˚C). Parallel runs with the same C/S ratio but on the one hand with constant mass of quartz and variation of lime and on the other hand under reverse conditions (constant mass of lime but variable amounts of quartz) were performed at both temperatures. The aim was to clarify the connections of crystallization mechanism and kinetics of phase formation with structure, crystallinity and morphology of the CSH’s in the mentioned C/S ratio for both temperatures in the tobermorite-xonotlite crossover region.