Early hydration of composite cement with thermal activated coal gangue

Composite cement samples were prepared by mixing clinker, gypsum with burnt coal gangues which was calcined at various temperatures. The mechanical strength and Ca(OH)2 content in the cement paste were tested, and the paste composition and microstructure were analyzed by thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DSC), X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and pore structure analysis. Results demonstrate that the thermal activated coal gangue could accelerate the early hydration of cement clinker obviously, which promotes the gangue hydration itself. The early hydrated products of the cement are C-S-H gel, Ca(OH)2 and AFt. The cement with 30% (in mass) the gangue exhibits higher mechanical strength, and among all the cement samples the one with the gangue burnt at 700 °C displays the highest hydration rate, mechanical strength, the most gel pores and the lowest total porosity.