Toward low-carbon cements

maximizing supplementary cementitious materials incorporation in binary, ternary, and quaternary blends

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate low-clinker binary, ternary, and quaternary cement systems using fly ash (28–70%), metakaolin (20–46%), limestone (10–23%), and their interactions with calcium hydroxide (0–12%). For this purpose, hydration kinetics, hydration products, rheological behavior, and compressive strength of cement pastes were evaluated. Based on the obtained results, the following conclusions can be drawn: (1) the addition of calcium hydroxide increased the degree of hydration; (2) in binary systems, the incorporation of portlandite by 8% and 12% were not effective; (3) quaternary cements exhibited cumulative heat values similar to those of ternary cements, while presenting higher compressive strength; and (4) the addition of portlandite by 4% and 8% provided the best mechanical performance in quaternary cements, whereas these additions proved insufficient for ternary systems. Overall, the proposed cement systems demonstrated potential as a technological solution to increase the use of supplementary cementitious materials in the production of low-clinker cements.