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Dissolution of β-C2S Cement Clinker: Part 2 Atomistic Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) Upscaling Approach
Mohammadreza Izadifar1, Neven Ukrainczyk1, Khondakar Mohammad Salah Uddin2
1Institute of Construction and Building Materials, Technical University of Darmstadt, Franziska-Braun-Str. 3, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
Belite cements offer eco-friendly alternatives to Portland cement. This study uses atomistic simulations and kinetic Monte Carlo upscaling to reveal belite
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Computational Chemistry
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Portland cement production is a major CO2 source.
- Belite (β-C2S) cements are a greener alternative but less reactive.
- Understanding belite dissolution is key to wider adoption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an atomistic computational approach for quantifying belite dissolution rates.
- To investigate the mesoscopic dissolution behavior of β-C2S crystal facets.
- To elucidate the impact of crystal defects on belite reactivity.
Main Methods:
- Atomistic kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) upscaling.
- Molecular dynamics simulations using ReaxFF and metadynamics.
- Calculation of activation energies (ΔG*) under non-equilibrium conditions.
- Analysis of (100) and (1¯00) crystal facets of β-C2S.
Main Results:
- A layer-by-layer dissolution mechanism was observed for ideal β-C2S crystals.
- Silicate monomer dissolution significantly limited the overall rate compared to calcium.
- Crystal defects, specifically at boundaries, increased dissolution rates by 519 times.
Conclusions:
- The KMC upscaling approach accurately models belite dissolution.
- Defect engineering can dramatically enhance belite reactivity.
- This work provides fundamental insights for developing high-performance belite cements.
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