Page 7 - Handbook of Thermal Analysis of Construction Materials

Preface xi

7, and 8, respectively. Various types of valuable information may be derived
by applying these techniques. Examples include: heats of hydration, mecha-
nisms of reactions, composition of the products, cement-admixture interac-
tions, compatibility of admixtures with cement, prediction of some proper-
ties, abnormal behavior of concrete, material characterization, development
of new admixtures and techniques, and quick assessment of some properties.
In many instances, the results obtained by thermal techniques can be related
to strength development, microstructure, permeability, and durability as-
pects in cement paste and concrete. Thermal analysis techniques are shown
to be eminently suited to characterize supplementary cementing materials
and for determining the potential cementing properties of wastes and by-
products. The relative activities of supplementary materials such as silica
fume, slag, pozzolans, etc., from different sources may be quickly assessed
by thermal methods.
Portland cement-based concretes are extensively used in the construc-
tion industry. Non-portland cement based systems, although not produced to
the same extent as portland cement, have found applications especially for
repair of concrete structures. Chapter 9, an introduction to non-portland
cements, provides a description of the hydration and engineering behaviors
of cements such as oxychloride/oxysulfate cements, calcium aluminate
cement, portland-calcium aluminate blended cement, phosphate cement,
regulated set cement, and gypsum. Chapter 10 provides information on the
application of thermal techniques such as DTA, DSC, DTG, TG, and
conduction calorimetry to selected groups of rapid setting cements. Studies
on the degree of hydration at different temperatures, identification and
estimation of products, and heats of hydration are discussed in this chapter.
Gypsum is an essential ingredient in portland cement. Calcined gypsum
finds many uses in the construction industry. It is also used as an insulating
material. Thermal methods are shown to be applicable to the rapid evaluation
of these systems. Chapter 11 deals with the studies on gypsum and α and β

forms of CaSO •½H O. The effect of environmental conditions on the
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determination of various forms of calcium sulfate is also given along with the
development of recent techniques. A subchapter on the industrial products
such as portland cement stucco, gypsum-based cement, sedimentary rocks,
plasters, and expanding cement is also included.
One of the first applications of thermal techniques was related to the
characterization of clay minerals. Extensive work has been carried out on
thermal analysis of clay products. Identification and characterization of clay
raw materials and accessory minerals, reactions that occur during the firing