The effect of the combined addition of copper, lithium and sulphur on the formation of Portland cement clinker.

Both copper and lithium act as strong fluxes and lower the temperature of the clinker melt formation. Sulphur promotes the stabilisation of more hydraulically active modification of alite M. It is expected that this combination could produce an alite clinker at significantly lower temperatures with high quality technological parameters.

Early hydration of CAF with silica fume and its role on katoite composition.

CAF is considered the least reactive main clinker phase, but its reactivity may be affected by adding supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). Pure CAF was synthesised in a laboratory furnace, and the role of silica fume without gypsum on its early hydration properties was monitored. Burning was carried out in four stages to achieve 99% purity of CAF.

The incorporation of Cu into the clinker phases.

The effect of CuO addition on the phase composition of clinker and the Cu incorporation into the structure of clinker phases was monitored under laboratory conditions. Separate synthesized CuO-doped clinker phases as well as clinkers with different CuO content up to 4 wt.% were characterized by XRD, optical and electron microscopy with EDS analysis.

The role of CuO on the microstructure and phase composition of SO -activated clinker.

The mineralising effect of CuO on microstructure and phase composition of SO -doped clinker was studied by a combination of phase analysis, light and scanning electron microscopy and QXRD. Results show proportionally higher C AF content in clinker interstitial matter due to CuO doping. CuO also lowers the SO incorporation in main clinker phases C S and C S.