Physical and chemical characteristics of heat resistant materials based on high alumina cement

Cement composites are often employed in severe conditions. They might be exposed for instance to high temperatures and/or high mechanical loads. However, their properties are mostly measured in laboratory conditions only, so that designers cannot take into account the changes in their material parameters after loading. In this paper, basic physical and chemical characteristics of heat resistant materials based on calcium aluminate cement are analyzed in the temperature range up to 1400 °C and the results are compared to those obtained for reference materials. The basic physical c haracteristics, namely bulk density, matrix density, and open porosity, are measured using helium pycnometry and gravimetric method. Material characterization experiments using thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction measurements are performed as well to assess the effect of high temperature exposure on the composition of studied materials. The experimental results show a very substantial effect of heat resistant admixtures on both physical and chemical characteristics.