Reactivity Effect of Calcium Carbonate on the Formation of Carboaluminate Phases in Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag Blended Cements

The reactivity effect of calcium carbonate, present in ground oyster shells and limestone filler, on the formation of carboaluminate phases in ground granulated blast furnace slag blended cement pastes was reported in this paper. Six different binary and ternary blended cement pastes were prepared using ground granulated blast furnace slag, ground oyster shells and limestone filler with different replacement levels (from 5 to 35%). The carboaluminate formation was assessed and quantified directly using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and indirectly by following the aluminate phase’s reaction (heat flow) and consumed calcium carbonate using Isothermal Calorimetry (IC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), respectively. Further, the overall reaction degree calculated based on TGA results and the compressive strength were determined to support the findings obtained. The results revealed that the calcium carbonate present in ground oyster shells is more reactive when compared to that present in limestone filler, where more formed hemi- and monocarboaluminate phases were observed in mixtures containing ground oyster shells. An enhancement in compressive strength and overall reaction degree was observed by adding 5% ground oyster shells as cement replacement.