Hydration of tricalcium aluminate in the presence of various amounts of calcium sulphite hemihydrate: Conductivity tests

Abstract Hydration of calcium aluminate C3A (3CaO·Al2O3) in the presence of calcium sulphite hemihydrate (CaSO3·0.5H2O), with the molar ratio of substrates close to 1, produces the C3A·CaSO3·11H2O calcium monosulphite aluminate phase. Small amounts of calcium sulphite added to calcium aluminate (the ratio of CaSO3·0.5H2O / C3A equalling 0 : 1) change the rate of C3A hydration and influence the whole reaction. Reaction processes for various ratios of the C3A–CaSO3·0.5H2O mixture were examined in pure distilled water with a considerable amount of liquid W / S = 38–50 (constant W / C3A). Processes in the liquid phase were monitored with conductivity equipment, and the XRD analysis was used to identify the phases precipitated during the examined reactions.