On the hydration of limestone calcined kaolinitic clay cement and energy-efficient production

Understanding hydration kinetics of cement composite incorporating calcined clay is crucial in further progressing low-carbon binder designs. However, due to diversity of clays and complex synergy with further limestone addition, it is challenging to predict the hydration process. In this study, a coupled kineticthermodynamic model is developed based on unified functional form to generate comprehensive hydration studies on cement binders including calcined kaolinitic clay and limestone. Dedicated model parameterisation analyses are performed, following available rapid, relevant, and reliable (R3) tests, to determine the kinetic models. Moreover, a numerical framework is proposed to describe the synergy in hydration of limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) utilising clays of diverse kaolinite contents. The model is demonstrated to be capable of generating robust hydration assessments on both binary and ternary systems. In enhancing the overall sustainability, the proposed hydration model is leveraged to gauge the energy-efficient production of LC3 binders utilising local resources.