Studies on the carboaluminate formation in limestone filler-blended cements

Carboaluminates are hydration products of limestone-blended cements and they compete with monosulfoaluminate stability and ettringite transformation. In this paper a study about the hydration of pure C3A phase with CaCO3 in the presence or not of gypsum and in a calcium hydroxide solution is related to the hydration products of portland and limestone-blended cements. Results show the formation of monocarboaluminates in systems containing C3A and CaCO3 while the tricarboaluminate was not found. Calcium hydroxide intervenes in these systems to form a calcium hemicarboaluminate hydroxide. In limestone-blended cements, calcium monocarboaluminate is immediately detected after hydration begun and the transformation of monosulfoaluminate to monocarboaluminate occurs at 28 days while the conversion of ettringite to monosulfoaluminate is deferred.