Dominant Factors on the Early Hydration of Metakaolin-Cement Paste

The dominant factors during early hydration process of cement paste containing 10% metakaolin replacement (MK10) and 10% kaolin replacement (K10) are investigated in comparison to neat cement paste (NCP), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis is employed to identify the crystalline phases of all specimens. Thermogravimetric (TG) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) are used to identify the phase constituents. The amount of acid-insoluble residue (AIR) of all specimens is used to evaluate the unreacted materials. The results indicate that, after the first day, MK act as nuclei for the formation of C-S-H during hydration of C3S and C2S, densifying the microstructure of cement paste. Its contribution is mainly due to the fine nature of the MK. From 3 days to 7 days, more and more MK reacts with CH to form C-S-H, making the microstructure denser. The strength contribution is mainly due to the chemical activity of MK.