Ferrite cement

Belite-sulfoaluminate-ferrite cement (BSAF) suhbbehte cement with a particulariy... 

Ferrite cement contains the calcium alirminate ferrite phase as its main constituent. Its composition in the cement may vary between about C4AF and CgAF2. The cement may be prodnced by binning a raw meal consisting of limestone, iron ore (such as magnetite), andbairxite to temperatures somewhat above 1300°C. 

Ferrite cement is used only to a very limited extent. It cmrently finds use as a binder in the production of iron ore pellets. 

Pordand cement clinker is formed by the reactions of calcium oxide and acidic components to give C S, C2S, C A, and a ferrite phase approximating... 

The hydration of the ferrite phase (C AF) is of greatest interest in mixtures containing lime and other cement compounds because of the strong tendency to form soHd solutions. When the sulfate in solution is very low, soHd solutions are formed between the cubic C AH and analogous iron hydrate C FHg. In the presence of water and siUca, soHd solutions such as C3 ASH4-C3FSH4 may be formed (33). Table 7 Hsts some of the important phases formed in the hydration of mixtures of pure compounds. 

Dibutylstibinic acid, 3 73 Dibutyltin diacetate, 24 823 Dibutyltin dilaurate, 24 823 Dicadmium triantimonide, 4 510 Dicalcium alumino monosilicate, phase in Portland cement clinker, 5 472t Dicalcium ferrite, phase in Portland cement clinker, 5 472t Dicalcium hexaborate pentahydrate,... 

In the cement industry, the term hydration is used to describe a range of reactions between cement and water to produce a hardened product. A cement clinker particle is a multiphase solid having massive calcium silicate grains (50-100 pm) in a matrix of interstitial aluminate and ferrite. This is described as analogous to a distorted clay sequence, which traps regions of porosity-pore size distribution from nanometer to micrometer. 

There may be a chelating effect whereby TEA reacts with the ferrite phase of Portland cement [10], as illustrated in Fig. 5.2. 

High ferrite contents give the cement a dark color. 

Calculate the overall Ca and Si contents (expressed as CaO and Si02) of a Portland cement clinker that has 55% alite, 30% belite, 5% alumi-nate phase, and 10% ferrite (assume ideal compositions for the latter two). Would you expect this to behave as a fast or a slow setting cement ... 

The presence of lead and cadmium in the cement matrix with those concentrations did not lead to decreasing of samples strengths. Lead showed better improvement in stabilization and then cadmium. Lead dissolution at low pH values corresponded closely with the loss of aluminum, suggesting an ettringite or ferrite stabilization mechanism. The leachability of cadmium is continuous as the pH decreases from 9.5 to lower values during the batch leaching steps, and confirms a simple insoluble hydroxide stabilization mechanism and pH-controlled dissolution. 

The ferrite phase makes up 5 15% of normal Portland cement clinkers. It is tetracalcium aluminoferrile (CajAIFeOj) substantially modified in composition by variation in Al/Fe ratio and incorporation of foreign ions. The rale at which it reacts with water appears to be somewhat variable, perhaps due to differences in composition or other characteristics, but in general is high initially and intermediate between those of alite and belite at later ages. 

In many clinkers, the ferrite phase is closely mixed with aluminate due to a similarity in cell parameters, oriented intergrowth can occur (MIS). The close admixture often renders X-ray microanalysis difficult or unreliable. For ordinary Portland cement clinkers, the compositions found in dilferent laboratories are nevertheless remarkably consistent. Table 1.2 includes an average value based on the results of investigations using X-ray microanalysis (H8,K1,B2,U1,H3,B4) or chemical analysis of separated material (Yl). Table 1.3 includes suggested site occupancies corresponding to these data. 

Sulphate-resisting Portland cements have relatively high ratios of iron to aluminium, and the ferrite phase cannot have the composition given above if it contains most of the iron. Tables 1.2 and 1.3 include a tentative composition and atomic ratios corresponding to it, based on scanty data for the interstitial material as a whole (G3,G4) and the requirement of reasonable site occupancies. 

This system includes the Ca2(Alj,Fej, )205 series of ferrite compositions. The bounding, binary system Ca0-Fe203 includes three compounds, viz. CjF, CF and CFj. C2F, as an end member of the above series, was discussed in Section 1.5. The other two compounds are of lesser importance to cement... 

Table 2.3 lists some phases containing MgO that are in varying degrees relevant to cement chemistry. It is not a complete list of phases with essential MgO in the CaO-MgO-AljOj-SiOj system. As seen in Chapter 1, some MgO is also taken up by all four of the major clinker phases, typical contents being 0.5-2.0% for alite, 0.5% for belite, 1.4% for the aluminate phase, and 3.0% for the ferrite phase. Magnesium oxide (periclase), like calcium oxide, has the sodium chloride structure it is cubic, with a = 0.4213 nm, space group Fm3m, Z = 4, = 3581 kgm (S5) and refrac-... 

AR. For lower ARs, the interstitial material consists essentially of ferrite of higher iron contents, and in white cements it consists of aluminate very low in iron, possibly together with glass. In each case, small amounts of silicate phases are probably also present. 

Portland cement clinker emerges from a dry process kiln as rounded pellets, or from a wet process kiln as irregularly shaped lumps, in either case typically of 3-20 mm dimensions. Typical clinkers are greenish black, the colour being due to ferrite phase that contains Mg (Ml8) in the absence of Mg , they are buff. Reducing conditions in the kiln typically produce clinkers that are yellowish brown, especially in the centres of the lumps, where less reoxidation has occurred. Light colours can also arise from underburning. 

Because the constituent phases of a cement are not equally easy to grind, different particle size fractions differ in composition. Gypsum, and its dehydration products, are concentrated in the finer fractions. Osbaeck and Jons (08) concluded that each 1% of gypsum contributed about 10m kg to the specific surface area in a typical case, some 15% of the total specific surface area is thus due to gypsum. The content of alite decreases, and that of belite increases, with increasing particle size (R12,G30), the contents of aluminate and ferrite phases being little affected. 

Fig. 4.2 Reflected light micrograph of a polished and etched section of a Portland cement clinker, showing crystals of alite (dark, angular) and belite (less dark, rounded) embedded in a matrix of interstitial material, itself composed mainly of dendritic ferrite (light) and aluminate (dark). Courtesy Materials Science Department, British Cement Association.

Fig. 4.3 Backscattered electron images of polished sections of (A) a Portland cement clinker and (B) grains of a Portland cement in a fresh paste. In both sections, alite is the predominant clinker phase. In (A), the relatively large, darker areas are of belite, and the interstitial material consists of dendritic ferrite (light) in a matrix of aluminate (dark) cracks and pores (black) are also visible. In (B), the belite forms well-defined regions, which are rounded, striated and darker than the alite the interstitial material, present, for example, in a vertical band left of centre within the larger grain, consists mainly of ferrite (light) and aluminate (dark). Scrivener and Pratt (S28).

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