Micro- and nano-structural evolutions in white Portland cement/pulverized fuel ash cement pastes due to deionized-water leaching

Thin slices of white Portland cement-low calcium pulverized fuel ash (pfa) blended cement pastes containing 30 or 50% pfa were leached progressively in de-ionized water. The paste with 50% pfa was aged 13 years prior to leaching and those with 30% pfa were aged 1 and 13 years. Pastes were leached for up to 75 days and were characterized using thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, analytical scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Leaching affected the pastes in the following sequence: (i) crystals of Ca(OH)2 large enough to be resolved by backscattered electron imaging were removed completely prior to any effect on C-A-S-H; (ii) the Ca/Si ratio of C-A-S-H reduced from ≈1.4 to ≈1.0 whilst the aluminosilicate structure was unaffected; (iii) further reduction in the Ca/Si ratio of C-A-S-H was accompanied by lengthening of the aluminosilicate chains; (iv) the Ca/Si ratio of C-A-S-H reduced ultimately to ≈0.6