Atomic force microscopy characterisation of alkali-silica reaction products to reveal their nanostructure and formation mechanism

Abstract Microscopic studies on alkali-silica reaction (ASR) products revealed two distinct forms of solid ASR products. However, their chemical and morphological aspects have not been adequately understood. This study provides a new insight into the nanostructure of ASR products as examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Results reveals that the surface microscale morphology of the rosette-like ASR product is associated with the loss of surface water, and the granular ASR product is formed by the accumulation of nanoscale particles with a typical size of around thirty nanometers. Moreover, the application of AFM provides evidence for the fluid nature of the granular ASR product at high moisture content.

[1]  B. Fournier,et al.  Stress-relaxation of crystalline alkali-silica reaction products: Characterization by micro- and nanoindentation and simplified modeling , 2017 .

[2]  Karen L. Scrivener,et al.  Relation of expansion due to alkali silica reaction to the degree of reaction measured by SEM image analysis , 2007 .

[3]  Jan Olek,et al.  Chemical Sequence and Kinetics of Alkali–Silica Reaction Part II. A Thermodynamic Model , 2014 .

[4]  B. P. Gautam,et al.  Nano-mechanical properties of alkali-silica reaction (ASR) products in concrete measured by nano-indentation , 2018 .

[5]  T. Arnold,et al.  Characterization of alkali silica reaction gels using Raman spectroscopy , 2017 .

[6]  Gervais Chapuis,et al.  Application of micro X-ray diffraction to investigate the reaction products formed by the alkali–silica reaction in concrete structures , 2016 .

[7]  E. Garcia-Diaz,et al.  AMORPHISATION MECHANISM OF A FLINT AGGREGATE DURING THE ALKALI-SILICA REACTION: X-RAY DIFFRACTION AND X-RAY ABSORPTION XANES CONTRIBUTIONS , 2004 .

[8]  P. Monteiro,et al.  Structural Investigations of Alkali Silicate Gels , 2005 .

[9]  Michael D.A. Thomas,et al.  Alkali-silica reactions (ASR): literature review on parameters influencing laboratory performance testing , 2012 .

[10]  J. L. Rosenberger,et al.  Composition–rheology relationships in alkali–silica reaction gels and the impact on the gel's deleterious behavior , 2016 .

[11]  J. Ollivier,et al.  Interfacial transition zone in concrete , 1995 .

[12]  B. Revel,et al.  Microstructural evolution of amorphous silica following alkali–silica reaction , 2008 .

[13]  K. Peterson,et al.  Crystallized alkali-silica gel in concrete from the late 1890s , 2006 .

[14]  Zongjin Li,et al.  Investigation on microstructure and microstructural elastic properties of mortar incorporating fly ash , 2018 .

[15]  Eric R. Giannini,et al.  Alkali-silica reaction: Current understanding of the reaction mechanisms and the knowledge gaps , 2015 .

[16]  A. Nonat.  THE STRUCTURE AND STOICHIOMETRY OF C-S-H , 2004 .

[17]  Paulo J.M. Monteiro,et al.  Study of the structure of alkali–silica reaction gel by high-resolution NMR spectroscopy , 2006 .

[18]  B. P. Gautam,et al.  The effect of elevated conditioning temperature on the ASR expansion, cracking and properties of reactive Spratt aggregate concrete , 2017 .

[19]  Zongjin Li,et al.  Micro-mechanical Properties Of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement And The Correlation With Microstructures , 2017 .

[20]  Pietro Lura,et al.  E-modulus of the alkali-silica-reaction product determined by micro-indentation , 2013 .

[21]  Jan Olek,et al.  Chemical Sequence and Kinetics of Alkali‐Silica Reaction Part I. Experiments , 2014 .

[22]  Michael D. A. Thomas,et al.  Alkali-Aggregate Reactivity (AAR) Facts Book , 2013 .

[23]  Zongjin Li,et al.  Characterisation of the interfacial transition zone in mortars by nanoindentation and scanning electron microscope , 2018, Magazine of Concrete Research.

[24]  Leslie J. Struble,et al.  Formation of ASR gel and the roles of C-S-H and portlandite , 2004 .

[25]  Keren Zheng,et al.  Pozzolanic reaction of glass powder and its role in controlling alkali–silica reaction , 2016 .