The production of Portland cement is associated with a high consumption of mineral raw materials and significant emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Therefore, the partial replacement of cement with technogenic mineral additive in cement compositions is a rational way of utilizing production waste. Besides, the use of industrial waste products as mineral additives allows solving environment problems and reducing the consumption of primary natural resources.
This paper presents the study on the hydraulic activity of thermally activated expanded clay dust used as an active mineral additive in cement compositions. Expanded clay dust is an industrial waste formed during the production of ceramsite gravel, and captured in the dust cleaning systems of kilns: dust chambers, cyclones, filters.
A comprehensive study of the composition, containing expanded clay dust and water, was carried out using the IR spectral analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy with X-ray microanalysis.
It was established that the strength of baked samples increased by 80% after immersion in water. The main hydration products of baked expanded clay dust are three types of compounds - fibrous crystals of calcium hydrosulfoaluminate, calcium hydroaluminates in the form of cruciform twins, amorphized spherulite-like formations based on low-base calcium silicate hydrates.