Structural and microscopy characterization of an alternative low-energy binder containing Ca(OH)2 as an alkaline activator

The development of potential alternative binders to Portland cement is still becoming a global challenge in housing and infrastructure aspects. That is because cement and concrete become the major materials needed in building constructions. The Ordinary Portland cement can form a solid and hard mass when mixed with water with a certain ratio. This is due to the formation of ettringite and calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) phases that contribute to the strength of the hydrated products about 33–53 MPa. However, the manufacturing temperature of Portland cement can reach up to 1,500 °C in producing clinker. In order to lower the energy consumption and production cost, scientists were trying to utilize pozzolanic materials. The research of pozzolanic materials as alkali-activated cement, such as soil cement or geopolymer cement, is also still conducted. Hence, a better understanding of pozzolanic reaction and its hydration products is needed. In this work, the hydration products of low-energy binders composed of Ca(OH)2-SiO2 and Ca(OH)2-metakaolin-gypsum mixtures were studied. The hydrated products of 41 wt. % Ca(OH)2 – 41 wt. % metakaolin – 18 wt. % gypsum mixtures followed by water immersion curing at 50 °C for 28 days undergone a pozzolanic reaction. XRD characterization showed that the hydrated product is mainly composed of ettringite (60.0 %) and crystalline-CSH (23.4 %). The diffractograms obtained have shown a specific hump indicating the presence of amorphous phases besides the crystalline. To confirm the presence of the non-crystalline or amorphous phases of the hydrated products, a polarizing optical microscope (OM) using a crossed Nicols method was used. The characterization of the phases is the novelty of the present research. The ettringite, crystalline CSH and the amorphous phases act as a strong binder that consequently contribute to its average maximum compressive strength of 22.17 MPa.