Evaluation and a case study of Physical parameters of Ordinary

Portland Cement in relation with their major Calcium components

S.Thirumalai Kolundu, Scientist SB(Civil)

S.Murali, Scientific Officer (Civil)
Civil Engineering Laboratory
National Test House (SR), Chennai – 600 113.

Introduction:
Cement in the general sense of the word, can be described as a material with
adhesive and cohesive properties, which make it capable of uniting mineral fragments
or masses into a solid matter. The cement is produced by intimately mixing together
calcareous, argillaceous, or other silica, alumina and Iron-oxide bearing materials,
burning them at clinkering temperature and grinding the resulting clinker with
gypsum. There is variety of cements used in construction industry and the most
frequently used one is the Ordinary Portland Cement. The cement functions by
forming a plastic paste when mixed with water, which develops rigidity – setting of
cement, and then steadily increase in compressive strength – hardness of cement by
the chemical reaction – Hydration.

Chemistry of Cement:
Cement is being tested basically for its physical and chemical properties.
Based on some chemical properties of cement, the physical characteristics of cement
changes. A first hand knowledge of chemical composition of clinker/ cement is a must
before ascertaining its quality. The influence of change in oxide composition on the
compound composition is as given below.

Oxide Percentage in different Cements

Type 1 Type 2 Type 3
CaO 66 63 66
SiO2 20 22 20.0
Al2O3 7 7.7 5.5
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Fe2O3 3 3.3 4.5

Others 4 4.0 4.0

The derived components from its chemical compositions of cement are as

follows:

Four major components of Cement in Percent

C3S 65 33 73
C2S 8 38 2
C3A 14 15 7
C4AF 9 10 14

It is apparent that the significance of the control of the oxide composition of cement
cannot be overemphasized. In ordinary and rapid hardening portland cements, the sum
of the contents of two silicates varies only within narrow limits, so that the variation
in composition depends largely on the ratio of CaO to SiO2 in the raw materials.

Analysis of Cement components

According to Bogue’s equation, the major four components present in the cement can
be obtained from the equations:
 C4AF = 3.04 F
 C3A = 2.65 A – 1.69 F
 C3S = 4.07 C – 7.6 S – 6.72 A –1.43F –2.83SO3
 C2S = 2.87 S – 0.754 C3S

Here, some cases of 53 Grade Ordinary Portland Cements have been taken up for the
analysis and study. The tests were carried out as per IS:12269 – 1987. Based on the
Bogue’s equation, the following cases were analyzed for its chemical properties with
respect to its physical parameters. The tricalcium aluminate C3S and dicalcium
silicate C2S and tricalcium aluminate C3A derived from its chemical compositions and
they are tabulated.

Code of Tricalcium Compressive Tricalcium Compressive

Sample silicate Strength, MPa Aluminate Strength, MPa
C3S 3 days C3A 7 days
1 25.41 27.05 5.51 37.50
2 36.19 30.00 8.68 38.00
3 38.43 30.00 7.72 37.50
4 38.81 31.50 10.42 39.00
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5 43.03 32.00 6.30 38.00

6 43.32 30.30 2.43 48.00
7 47.46 31.40 3.99 37.60
8 48.21 35.00 4.03 44.00
9 48.34 39.00 7.31 47.50
10 51.37 30.40 6.85 37.80

The rate of hydration of these four major components present in the cement is as
follows:
C3A > C3S > C2S > C4AF
The silica in the cement forms with lime the essential cementing compounds
Tricalcium Silicate and Dicalcium Silicate; any change in the silica content, which
increases the proportion of Tricalcium Silicate, will affect early strength. When water
is added to cement, the tricalcium aluminate hydrates faster leading to flash set of
cement. With the addition of gypsum, the flash set prevented. The Tricalcium silicate
and Tricalcium Aluminate contribute to the early strength.

From the analysis, it is evident that the increase in the value of the tricalcium
silicate with respect to the 53 grade cement samples, the early strength is increasing.
The causes of loss in strength in case 6 & 7 can attribute to the amount of Tricalcium
Aluminate is low in comparison with earlier cases.
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C3S Vs Compressive Strength

for 53 Grade Cement
45

40

35
3 days C.Sth, MPa

30

25

20

15

10

0
25.41 36.19 38.43 38.81 43.03 43.32 47.46 48.21 48.34 51.37
C3S, %

Compressive
Code of Sample Dicalcium silicate Strength, MPa
C2S 28 days
1 22.11 43.6
2 23.76 43.9
3 26.75 46.5
4 28.11 48.0
5 30.35 48.4
6 31.52 48.7
7 37.66 56.0
8 47.60 52.0

The Dicalcium Silicate present in the cement contributes towards its later
strength because of its rate of hydration is comparatively low. According to case 8,
the insoluble residue in the cement is higher than the stipulated value, so there may be
an adulteration in the cement causes the reduction in the final strength. Except case 7,
all other cases are failures with respect to the Indian Standard code. The values of C 2S
are very low hence reflected in the final strengths.
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C2S Vs Compressive Strength

for 53 Grade Cement
60

48.0 48.4 48.7

50 46.5 56.0 52.0
43.9
28 days C Sth, MPa

40 43.6

30

20

10

0
22.11 23.76 26.75 28.11 30.35 31.52 37.66 47.60
C2S, %

Compressive Tricalcium
Code of Sample
Strength, MPa Aluminate

3 days C3A
1 31.50 2.43
2 30.30 3.99
3 39.00 4.03
4 27.05 5.51
5 35.00 6.30
6 32.00 6.85
7 30.40 7.31
8 30.00 7.72
9 30.00 8.68
10 31.40 10.42
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Compressive Strength Vs C3A

45

40

35 39.00
y = -0.2482x + 33.03
35.00
3 days C.Sth, MPa

30 32.00
31.50 30.30 30.40 30.00 30.00 31.40
25 27.05
20
15
10

5
0
2.43 3.99 4.03 5.51 6.30 6.85 7.31 7.72 8.68 10.42
C3A, %

The increase in the amount of Tricalcium Aluminate present in the cement

contributes very less to the increase in the early strength of the cement. It is
manifested from the trend line of the graph, the increase in C 3A will not affects its
early strength. But it affects the setting of cement.

The relative proportion of Tricalcium Aluminate and Tetra Calcium Alumino

– Ferrite depends on the ratio of alumina to iron oxide present in it. Increase in iron
oxide content reduces the proportion of Tricalcium Aluminate and increases that of
Tetra Calcium Alumino – Ferrite. Higher the value of Tricalcium Aluminate causes
rapid set. Alumina present in the Tricalcium Aluminate and Tetra calcium alumino
ferrite contributes to the acceleration of hydration. The Tetra calcium alumino ferrite
acts as a flux by reducing the clinkering temperature.

Conclusion
The cements rich in Tricalcium Silicate showed high strength at early ages,
while those, which were low in this compound, showed much lower strength at early
ages. The relative contribution to strength of four major compounds derived from
different sets of data are very variable and it cannot be claimed, the Tricalcium
silicate makes major part of its contribution to early strength. The variation in
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Alumina to Iron oxide ratio of iron compounds, and in the extent to which the clinker
liquid has fully crystallized on cooling, account for this errors.

Though the loss in early and lateral compressive strength of Ordinary Portland
Cement are proved and well established due to the percentage of availability of C 3S,
C2S and C3A, the present study on comparison of passing samples with failure
samples confirms and reveals itself for the reason of its failure.