Examination of gamma-irradiated calcium silicate hydrates. Part I: Chemical-structural properties

Abstract

The chemical-structural properties of synthetic calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) with C/S (Ca/Si) ratios of 0.75, 1 and 1.33 were studied after gamma irradiation-absorbed doses ranging from 0.145 to 0.784 MGy and compared with those of control specimens. The results showed that the total water content given by thermogravimetric analysis and the dimension of the basal spacing given by x-ray diffraction were comparable for control and irradiated samples, which indicate that the interlayer water content did not change. The morphology, C/S ratios, and silicate mean chain length were also found to be unaltered by the absorbed gamma doses.