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Compositional Characterization of Ultrafine Composite Powder as a Novel Supplementary Cementitious Material
Baoliang Li1,2, Hongrui Shang1, Liying Shi1
1Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Huai'an University, Huai'an 223001, China.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 13, 2026
Summary
Ultrafine composite powder (UCP) shows early strength advantages over ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GBFS) in cement, primarily due to its larger surface area and chemical activation. However, GBFS demonstrates better long-term strength development.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Civil Engineering
- Construction Materials
Background:
- Ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GBFS) is a common supplementary cementitious material.
- Investigating novel materials like ultrafine composite powder (UCP) is crucial for sustainable construction.
- Understanding the performance and mechanism of UCP as a GBFS replacement is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the application potential of UCP as a supplementary cementitious material.
- To compare the activity and workability effects of UCP versus GBFS in cement-based materials.
- To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of UCP's performance.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of UCP and GBFS activity and mortar workability.
- Characterization using XRF, XRD, TG/DTG, FTIR, mapping, SEM-EDS, and BET.
- Evaluation of morphology, composition, particle size distribution, and pore structure.
Main Results:
- UCP shows higher early (3 and 28 days) strength activity indices than GBFS but less strength progression.
- UCP has a larger specific surface area (2.47x BET) and total pore volume (3.31x) than GBFS.
- UCP's composition includes higher Fe and alkalinity, with pores from fragmented fly ash and unburned carbon.
Conclusions:
- UCP's early-age activity advantage stems from filling effects, increased nucleation sites, and chemical activation.
- GBFS offers superior strength development between 3 and 28 days compared to UCP.
- UCP presents a viable alternative to GBFS, with distinct performance characteristics.
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