Influence of alkalis on the phase development of belite-sulfoaluminate clinkers

This paper presents a study on the influence of different amounts of alkalis (K2O and Na2O) on clinker phase formation, microstructure, phase composition and reactivity of belite-sulfoaluminate cement clinker. Using X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry, it was found that the amount of C2S and C4AF increases with the incorporation of alkalis, while the amount of C4A3Ś and CŚ decreases. In addition to the major phases, the samples with alkalis also consist of minor phases such as C3A (tricalcium aluminate), KŚ (arcanite), and KC2Ś3 (Ca-langbeinite). The major ions in the major phases were substituted by alkali cations and some other ions (Ca2+, Al3+, Fe3+, S2-, S6+, Si4+). The alkalis also affect the microstructure of the clinker, e.g., the shape of the grains. Consequently, isothermal calorimetry was used to detect differences in hydration kinetics. The clinker with 2 wt. % K2O content was the most reactive, while the sample with 0.5 wt. % Na content was the least reactive. The latter was primarily influenced by the content of the main and minor phases of the clinker