Fundamental hydration kinetic features of the major cement constituents : Ca

During the hydration of the major anhydrous constituents of cement such as Ca3SiO5 and βCa2SiO4, two hydrates form : calcium hydrosilicate and calcium hydroxide. The hydration appears to be a complex reaction resulting from three reactions which become progressively simultaneous. The initial time of the second and the third are delayed due to the fact that a suitable supersaturation degree must be reached prior to the beginning of the hydrate precipitation. Quasi steady states follow the steep period of precipitation.This work is aimed to show that these kinetic features of the hydration are kept even though the anhydrous silicates are initially put in lime solutions of higher and higher concentrations instead of placing them in water. It seems that the generality of such a behaviour is evidenced for the first time