CE2330
Mineral and Chemical
Admixtures
Radhakrishna G. Pillai
Building Technology & Construction Management (BTCM) Division
Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
Outline
• Pozzolanic reactions
• Various mineral admixtures
– Production
– Characteristics
• Various chemical admixtures
– Mechanisms
What are mineral admixtures and supplementary
cementitious materials (SCMs)?
• A mineral admixture is a finely ground solid material
that, when used in conjunction with portland
cement, contributes to the properties of the
hardened concrete through hydraulic or pozzolanic
activity, or both.
• An SCM is a mineral admixture that contains some
form of amorphous reactive silica, which in the
presence of water, combines with calcium
hydroxide to form calcium silicate hydrate similar to
that formed in the hydration of portland cement.
PCA
Pozzolanic reactions
S CH
C -S- H
Amorphous silica Calcium hydroxide
S CH
H C - S - H
Amorphous silica Calcium hydroxide Water
Cement hydration: C3S + C2S + water → C-S-H + CH
PCA
Fly ash Silica Slag
(Class C) fume
Metakaolin Fly ash Calcined
(calcined clay) (Class F) shale
NOTE:
Color may vary, mostly depending on the iron, carbon, and other impurities
Why SCMs are added?
• To improve fresh characteristics of concrete
• To improve strength and durability of concrete
• To decrease the heat of hydration
– A thump rule: The total heat of hydration of pozzolanic reactions is
equal to one-half the total heat of hydration of cementitious reactions
(i.e., of portland cement hydration).
• To correct deficiencies in the packing density of the
aggregates and/or increase the paste content without
increasing the cement dosage (i.e., as a filler material).
• To decrease the environmental impact of concrete (i.e., by
saving cement and/or utilising a waste product)
Mehta and Monteiro
Comparison of the particle sizes of Silica fume,
Fly ash and Cement
Mehta and Monteiro
Silica Fume – Particle size
Cement Particles Silica fume particles
http://www.silicafume.org
Effects of adding silica fume to concrete –
Summary on fundamentals
http://www.silicafume.org
Fly-Ash – Production
http://www.flyashindia.com
Fly-Ash – Major uses
• Portland Cement Concrete
– Supplementary Cementitious Material
• Asphalt Concrete
– Mineral Filler
• Stabilized Base
– Supplementary Cementitious Material
• Embankment and Fill Material
http://www.flyashindia.com
Fly ash
• Spherical glassy particles formed due to rapid
cooling of the molten ash in the furnace.
PCA Scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrograph of fly ash particles at 1000X
Influence of Fly Ash on Hardened Concrete
• Ultimate strength can be higher than OPC cement concrete
– The microstructure is denser with less CH and more C-S-H
• Ultimate strengths are reached much after 28 days.
– Rate of strength gain due to pozzolanic activity of fly ash concrete is
slower than normal concrete. Hence, thermal cracking is reduced.
• Up to 28 days, due to particles < 10 μm in diameter
• After 28 days, due to particles between 10 and 45 μm in diameter
• Creep and shrinkage of fly ash concrete are typically lower
than normal concrete
– lower amount of paste in the concrete
• Durability is enhanced
– less permeable and porous microstructure and reduced portland
cement content
PCA
Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag (GGBS)
• Blast furnace slag is a by-product of
the extraction of pig iron from iron ore.
• Coke and limestone are added as
fluxes inside the blast furnace.
• The impurities in iron ore combine
with the lime and rise up to the
surface of the blast furnace as slag,
while the heavier molten iron stays at
the bottom.
• The slag is subsequently granulated
and can be ground later to the desired
fineness
– usually greater than 350 m2/kg
www.nationalslag.org
Effect of GGBS on Hardened Concrete
• Heat development is lowered
– Rate of hydration of slag is similar to that of C2S
• Strength is enhanced
– Due to more C-S-H formation
• Durability is enhanced
– due to a less permeable and porous microstructure
– Resistance against corrosion is increased
Other SCMs
• Metakaolin
– A white pozzolan made by calcining (heating below
melting temperature) the kaolin clay to 600-800°C.
• Rice husk ash
– Rice milling industry generates a lot of rice husk during
milling of paddy which comes from the fields.
Major advantages of mineral admixtures
• Consumption of calcium hydroxide (CH)
and production of more C-S-H
– More compact microstructure
– Increased ultimate strength
– Improved durability
Chemical admixtures
Chemical admixtures
• These are ingredients other than portland cement, water,
and aggregates that may be added to impart a specific
quality to either the plastic (fresh) or hardened concrete
– ASTM C494
• Usually mixed with the mixing water
– This recommended practice for uniformity
Why to use chemical admixtures?
• To reduce the cost
• To achieve/enhance certain desired properties in fresh and
hardened stages
• To ensure quality during the stages of mixing, transporting,
placing and curing in adverse weather conditions
• To face the emergencies during site operations
Types of chemical admixtures
• Air entrainer
• Water reducers
• High-range water reducers (Superplasticizers - SP)
• Corrosion inhibitors
• Retarder
• Accelerator
• Shrinkage reducing admixtures
Air entrainer
• Mainly used to combat free-thaw attack
• Also, enhances workability
• Generates distributed air bubbles
Water reducers and high-range water reducers
(or superplasticizers)
• To increase and control the slump/workability of concrete
Water reducers and high-range water reducers
(or superplasticizers)
• To increase and control the slump/workability of concrete
Flocculated Dispersed
Superplasticizers can be used when…
• a low-water-cement ratio is required
• Placing concrete for thin walls, beams, columns, etc.
• Reinforcement are tightly placed
• placing cement under water
• placing concrete by pumping
• consolidation is difficult
Retarders are used to…
• Offset the effect of hot weather
• Allow for unusual placement or long haul distances, traffic
delays, etc.
• Provide time for special finishes (exposed aggregates)
Accelerators are used to…
• Reduce the amount of time before finishing operations
begin
• Reduce curing time
• Increase the rate of strength gain
• Stop leaks under hydraulic pressure efficiently
ALL Construction Chemicals: Indian Market
http://www.econstructionchemicals.com/marketwatch.php
ALL Construction Chemicals: Indian Market
• CAGR - Compound Annual Growth Rate
http://www.econstructionchemicals.com/marketwatch.php
ALL Construction Chemicals: Indian Market
http://www.econstructionchemicals.com/marketwatch.php
Reading assignment
• Chapter on aggregates
References
• High-Performance, High-Volume Fly Ash Concrete, V.M. Malhotra & P.K. Mehta,
Supplementary Cementing Materials for Sustainable Development, 2002
• Concrete Technology for Sustainable Development in the Twenty-First Century, Ed. P.K.
Mehta, Cement Manufacturers’ Association, New Delhi, 1999
• Concrete, S. Mindess, J.F. Young, & D. Darwin, 2nd Edition, Prentice-Hall, Englewood
Cliffs, New Jersey, USA, 1981
• Concrete: Microstructure, Properties and Materials, P.K. Mehta & P.J.M. Monteiro, 3rd
Edition, Tata McGraw Hill Education Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
• High-Performance Concrete, P.-C. Aïtcin, E&FN Spon, London, 1998
• The Science and Technology of Civil Engineering Materials, J.F. Young, S. Mindess, R.J.
Gray and A. Bentur, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA, 1998
• Cement Chemistry, H.F.W. Taylor, Thomas Telford Publ., London, 1997
• Euro-Cements, Eds. R.K. Dhir & M.R. Jones, E&FN Spon, London, 1994
• Properties of Concrete, A.M. Neville, Pearson Education, Delhi, 2004
• Concrete Mixture Proportioning, F. de Larrard, E&FN Spon, London, 1999
• Portland Cement Association, USA, web site:
http://www.cement.org/basics/concretebasics_classroom.asp
• Cement Manufacturers’ Association (India), web site: http://www.cmaindia.org/index.html
• http://www.silicafume.org
• http://www.flyash.com
• ACI Materials Journal
