Civil Engineering - Building Materials - Discussion

What is plasticity?

Tri calcium aluminate gives plasticity and tri calcium alumino ferrite protect the corrosion.

What is the difference between the function of tri calcium aluminate and tetra calcium alumino ferrite?

Now let and see:

Portland cement is made up of four main compounds: Tricalcium silicate (3CaO.SiO2), dicalcium silicate (2CaO.SiO2), tricalcium aluminate (3CaO.Al2O3), and a tetra-calcium aluminoferrite (4CaO.Al2O3Fe2O3). In an abbreviated notation differing from the normal atomic symbols.

Tricalcium silicate and dicalcium silicate most to the eventual strength.

What is the purpose of di-calcium silicate?

Basically Silica is an strength parameter and alumina is an setting parameter. If we need our structure to attain quick setting we need to increase the quantity of alumina (tricalcium aluminate and tetracalcium aluminoferrite). Vise versa for silica.

Then what about tricalcium aluminate and tetracalcium aluminoferrite?

When water is added to cement, each of the compounds undergoes hydration and contributes to the final concrete product. Only the calcium silicates contribute to strength. Tricalcium silicate is responsible for most of the early strength (first 7 days). Dicalcium silicate, which reacts more slowly, contributes only to the strength at later times. Once set, concrete continues to harden (cure) and become stronger for a long period of time, often up to several years. So Ca2SiO4 gives ultimate strength.

What is the purpose of tricalcium cement?