Analysis of the Fractal Growth Characteristics and Nucleation Mechanism of Phosphogypsum-based Materials

Abstract

Phosphogypsum-based materials (PBM) were synthesized with varied phase compositions of phosphogypsum, portland cement and fly ash. Effects of fractal growth characteristics on physicochemical properties, pore structure, compressive strength, as well as the hydration behaviour and mineralogical conversion of mortars were examined by a multitechnological approach, including mercury intrusion porosimetry, rietved phase analysis, thremal analysis, calorimetry and Fourier transforminfrared spectroscopy analysis. Expermental results indicate that the specimens cured with mosite resulted in higher strength and lower porosity compared with those cured in the drying chamber. In addition, a more complicated course of the aluminate and silicate reactions during the hydration process has been published, with the hydration products mainly consisting of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H), portlandite, ettringite, hemicarbonate, monocarboaluminate, calcite, quartz, a mixed AFm passed with carbonate, and hydroxide. After all, the nucleation process is a reaction that can be defined as a solid, liquid and gaseous phases that goes through the four stages of materialization mixing and modification, i e, hydration of low calcium content, secondary hydration, high calcium condensation and geoplymensation, respectively. The rupture, recombination, polymerization reactions of Si-O, Ca-O, Al-O bonds contribute to the nucleation mechanism that serves as the formation of C-S-H in hydration products.

Keywords

phosphogypsum / pozzolanic addition / quantification analysis / microhydration characteristic / nucleation mechanism

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