Interaction Mechanisms in «Portland Cement-Functional Polymer Mineral Additives» Binder Produced by Different Methods

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Civil Engineering
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• The construction industry heavily relies on mineral resources, with Portland cement (PC) production being a major consumer of high-quality raw materials.
• PC-based composites are valued for their strength and durability, driving optimization for specific applications and resource efficiency.
• Reducing PC consumption is crucial for sustainability and cost-effectiveness in construction materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze a functional polymer-mineral additive's composition and interaction mechanisms with PC.
• To evaluate the impact of different additive introduction methods (dry mixing vs. joint grinding) on binder properties.
• To optimize binder formulations for reduced PC content and enhanced performance.

Main Methods:

• X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for material characterization.
• Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) to study hydration processes.
• Patent information analysis to clarify additive composition and guide experimental design.

Main Results:

• Joint grinding was identified as the most effective method for incorporating the polymer-mineral additive into the PC binder.
• The study established uniform additive distribution and clarified the influence of individual components and their interactions during cement hydration.
• The combined grinding method significantly intensified hydration processes, leading to improved structure formation in the cement paste.

Conclusions:

• The functional polymer-mineral additive shows promise for reducing PC consumption in construction materials.
• Joint grinding is the optimal method for integrating this additive, enhancing binder properties and hydration kinetics.
• A phenomenological model for the structure formation of additive-modified cement paste was developed, providing insights for future material design.