Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Centre for Cement Research and Independent Testing National Council for Cement and Building Materials
1 crtb@ncbindia.com
BACKGROUND
Nanomaterials are ultrafine particles having dimensions of the order of 1-100nm. Nanoparticles are reported to improve the properties of cement and concrete. In the present studies, a significant improvement in compressive strength of cement samples has been reported including hydration studies of OPC nanosilica blends using TGA, DTA and FTIR techniques.
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS IN %
43 grade OPC meeting requirement of IS 8112 : 1989 was used. Nanosilica used in the study had an average particle size of 15nm. Polycarboxylate ether based superplasticizer was used in mortar of cement blends with nanosilica. 3
COMPOSITION Nano-silica %
0 3 5
Blending was carried out in a batch type laboratory ball mill with only 10-15 balls. Homogeneity of the blend was checked by drawing three random samples from the bulk and analyzing SiO2 content in them.
4
Pastes of OPC and OPC-nanosilica blends were prepared using w/c ratio of 0.4. The pastes were stored in sealed plastic vials in a temperature controlled cabinet at 271C. The hydration was arrested at ages of 1, 3, 7 and 28 days by acetone. The dried hydrated powders were then subjected to DTA, TGA and FTIR investigations.
5
SAMPLE CODE
In presence of nanosilica the Ca(OH)2 gets assimilated as evident from decrease in weight loss pattern
8
FTIR Spectra of Anhydrous OPC and OPC hydrated for 1, 3, 7 and 28 Days
Anhydrous OPC
1D
3D
7D 28 D
(cm-1)
1D
3D
7D
28 D
10
CODE NO.
Blaines, m2/Kg
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
N.C. % SP. GRAV. IST Mts. FST Mts.
OPC
281
27.6
3.15
120
180
OPC-NS3
OPC-NS5
567
719
36.2
41.2
3.07
3.01
60
20
168
100
11
CODE NO.
SP Dose
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH, MPa 1D 3D 34.31 42.69 51.15 7D 48.66 53.69 65.44 28 D 61.25 72.84 72.68
12
1D
3D Age (Days)
7D
28D
13
CONCLUSIONS
The studies on hydration of OPC-nanosilica pastes with TG/DTA and FTIR confirmed the acceleratory effect of nanosilica on cement hydration and its pozzolanic reaction even at early age of 1 day. Nanosilica addition, in the range of 3-5 percent resulted in substantial increase in the Blaines fineness and normal consistency of cement blends.
14
CONCLUSIONS
Nanosilica caused shortening of setting times, which was attributed to the acceleratory effect of nanosilica on early cement hydration.
3-5 percent nanosilica caused increase of 10-49 percent in the compressive strengths of OPC blends at ages of 1-28 days.
15
16