Use of clay as a pozzolona in high strength Portland cement and its thermal activation

In this investigation local clay from Cherat mines, Nowshera District, NWFP, Pakistan, has been tested as a pozzolanic material in high strength Portland cement. Thermal treatments were performed as a means of activation of the clay. It was found that thermal treatment of the clay can increase its pozzolanic activity. Different blended mortars, containing different amounts of clay, activated at different temperatures were studied for compressive strength, consistency, and setting times. It was concluded that the mechanical properties of the blended cements were mainly governed by the percentage of incorporation of the calcined clay. Blended cement composition has been formulated, with optimal results of 20% calcined clay at a temperature of 600°C. © 2010 Science Press, Institute of Geochemistry, CAS and Springer Berlin Heidelberg.