Pozzolanic and hydraulic activity of nano-metakaolin

Abstract Nano-metakaolin (NMK) was prepared by firing of Nano-kaolin (NK) at different temperatures (750–825 °C) for 2 h. The pozzolanic activities of NMK samples were studied using hydrated lime as an activator. The optimum firing temperature of metakaolin (MK) was established from the results of hydration kinetics and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and found to be 750 °C; NMK, thus produced, is designated as NMK(750). This was based on the marked consumption of free calcium hydroxide by NMK fired at 750 °C as well as the highest values of chemically combined water at all ages of hydration. Therefore, NMK(750) was used for partial replacement of OPC and studying the physico–mechanical properties of OPC–NMK blended cement pastes. The optimum substitution of OPC by NMK was found to be 8–10%. This was based on the development of compressive strength of the various hardened OPC–NMK blended cement pastes having different NMK contents (0–16%), where the strength increases with NMK content up to 10% and then decreases. In addition, the SEM micrographs obtained for the hardened OPC (93%)–NMK (7%) blended cement paste displayed the formation of amorphous and microcrystalline CSH which fill the pores leading to a more dense structure with higher hydraulic activity as compared to neat OPC paste.