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This work deals with the influence of zinc on cement hydration. The amount of zinc in cement has increased over recent years. This is mainly due to the utilization of solid waste and tires, which are widely used as a fuel in a rotary kiln. Zinc can also be introduced to cement through such secondary raw materials as slag, due to increased recycling of galvanized materials. The aim of this work was to determine the effect of zinc on the hydration of Portland cement, blended with ground blast furnace slag (GBFS). This effect was studied by isothermal and isoperibolic calorimetry. Both calorimetry methods are suitable for measurements during the first days of hydration. Isoperibolic calorimetry monitors the hydration process in real-life conditions, while isothermal calorimetry does so at a defined chosen temperature. Zinc was added to the cement in the form of two soluble salts, namely Zn(NO3)2, ZnCl2, and a poorly soluble compound, ZnO. The concentration of added zinc was chosen to be 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, and 1mass percent. The amount of GBFS replacement was 15% of cement dosage. The newly formed hydration products were identified by X-ray diffraction method (XRD).

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Significant drying shrinkage is one of the main limitations for the wider utilization of alkali-activated slag (AAS). Few previous works revealed that it is possible to reduce AAS drying shrinkage by the use of shrinkage-reducing admixtures (SRAs). However, these studies were mainly focused on SRA based on polypropylene glycol, while as it is shown in this paper, the behavior of SRA based on 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol can be significantly different. While 0.25% and 0.50% had only a minor effect on the AAS properties, 1.0% of this SRA reduced the drying shrinkage of waterglass-activated slag mortar by more than 80%, but it greatly reduced early strengths simultaneously. This feature was further studied by isothermal calorimetry, mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Calorimetric experiments showed that 1% of SRA modified the second peak of the pre-induction period and delayed the maximum of the main hydration peak by several days, which corresponds well with observed strength development as well as with the MIP and SEM results. These observations proved the certain incompatibility of SRA with the studied AAS system, because the drying shrinkage reduction was induced by the strong retardation of hydration, resulting in a coarsening of the pore structure rather than the proper function of the SRA.

In recent years, the utilization of different non-traditional cements and composites has been increasing. Alkali-activated cementitious materials, especially those based on the alkali activation of blast furnace slag, have considerable potential for utilization in the building industry. However, alkali-slag cements exhibit very rapid setting times, which are too short in some circumstances, and these materials cannot be used for some applications. Therefore, it is necessary to find a suitable retarding admixture. It was shown that the sodium phosphate additive has a strong effect on the heat evolution during alkali activation and effectively retards the hydration reaction of alkali-activated blast furnace slag. The aim of the work is the suggestion of a reaction mechanism of retardation mainly based on Raman and X‑ray photoelectron spectroscopy.