DOI: 10.1002/cepa.

881

F U L L PA P E R

Nanostructured high insulating autoclaved aerated concrete

Andreas Stumm1 Uwe Schweike2 Peter Stemmermann3

1 Xella Technologie- und Forschungsgesellschaft

mbH, Kloster Lehnin, Germany Abstract

2 Celitement GmbH, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen,
Germany
3 Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Institut für
Technische Chemie, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen,
Germany
Correspondence
Andreas Stumm, Xella Technologie- und
Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Hohes Steinfeld 1,
D – 14797 Kloster Lehnin, Germany.
Email: andreas.stumm@xella.com
This article is a republication. It was
first published in Mauerwerk. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1002/dama.201800024.
Efficient insulation for residential buildings is one of the keys for implementing an energy transi-
tion. The technology used for exterior walls is usually made by combining load-bearing and diffi-
cult to recycle insulating components. For this reason, Celitement GmbH, Karlsruhe Institute of
Technology and Xella Technology and Research have joined their forces to develop a high insu-
lating AAC block, which is also resource efficient using the main components quick lime, sand,
and water. The thermal conductivity of the AAC was reduced. Macropores formed in the conven-
tional production process by hydrogen gas, diameter of approximately 1 mm, could be partially
replaced by lightweight aggregates, with an average pore diameter of 50 nm. A process for produc-
ing lightweight aggregate, which is based on optimized, hydraulically active calcium hydro silicate
binders (Celitement), was developed. The aggregate quantity in AAC could be raised to 40% by
weight through optimizing formulation and mixing. This project, sponsored by the German Fed-
eral Ministry of Education and Research, ended in 2017. Based on the results so far, it is worth
pursuing this approach in the future, whereby the material properties of the CSH granules could
be further improved to obtain the sought final AAC product.

KEYWORDS
autoclaved aerated concrete, calcium silicate hydrates, nanoporous filler, recycling, thermal
insulation

1 INTRODUCTION A 𝜆design, that is, thermal conductivity inclusive moisture surcharge,

The material advantages of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) as a
building material are in particular the ease of handling, fire protection,
moisture behavior, recyclability, aging resistance, and pest resistance.
Through continuous material innovations, high-quality AAC products
have good physical properties as building materials, in particular rel-
atively high compressive strengths (≥2.75 N/mm2 cube compressive
strength) at relatively low bulk densities (about 350 kg/m3 ) and rela-
tively low thermal conductivities [𝜆design ≥ 0.08 W/(m⋅K)].
However, energy-efficiently produced and easily recyclable materi-
als such as AAC, which are based on mineral raw materials, do not yet
reach the thermal insulation values, which allow particularly slim walls,
without additional insulation on native naphtha-based organic materi-
als, to be built.
The aim of the further development is to use mineral additives for
lowering the thermal conductivity (𝜆design ) to a value of 0.07 W/(m⋅K)
or below without sacrificing essential unique selling points of the build-
ing material. The standard strength (≥2.75 N/mm2 cube compressive
strength) must be maintained.
of 0.07 W/(mK) is the lowest value currently available for the AAC on
the German market. This AAC has a cube compressive strength of min-
imum 2.35 N/mm2 .
Up to now, the reduction of the thermal conductivity has been
achieved by reducing the bulk density and simultaneously increasing
the strength of the material. In addition, the thermal conductivity of
the matrix was reduced by various mineralogical optimization pro-
cesses. However, the maximum strength of the matrix, that is, parti-
tioning walls between the rising pores, has now been reached. The
open structure (degassing cracks) of these pores remains a weak spot,
which has to be eliminated. Only aluminum has been used to build up
pores in the material. Negative effects on the product characteristics
like noncombustibility (A1) and diffusion openness are thus excluded.
The key to reducing the thermal conductivity of AAC can be found in a
further reduction of the solid state and gas thermal conductivity. The
rising pores in AAC must be replaced with lightweight aggregates of
low thermal conductivity and higher stability. However, the lightweight
aggregates that are available on the market generally lead to a lower
compressive strength of the final AAC material.


c 2018 Ernst & Sohn Verlag für Architektur und technische Wissenschaften GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin.

ce papers. 2018;2:121–124. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cepa 121


122
FIGURE 1 Components used for the NAPOS-AAC
Source: Xella.
The solid-state thermal conductivity can be reduced by optimiz-
ing the conversion of the raw materials to higher amounts of calcium-
silicate-hydrates, the so-called CSH phases. The porosity and the ratio
of the mean free path length [1] of the gas molecules to the pore diame-
ter (Knudson number) are decisive for the gas thermal conductivity [2].
The incorporation of nanoporous lightweight fillers is the current
approach of this study to reduce the thermal conductivity of AAC.
The activities carried out by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology,
Xella, and Celitement were sponsored by the German Federal Ministry
of Education and Research.
2 METHODS
2.1 Technical approach
For a sustainable overall balance, new resource-efficient hydraulically
active calcium-hydro-silicate binders (h-CHS binders, “Celitements”)
are used instead of ordinary cements, followed by hydrating them
to pure CSH bodies that contain pores in the nanometer range. The
F I G U R E 2 Schematic flow chart of the process chain for the production of nanoporous lightweight aggregates based on h-CHS
Source: Celitement.
25097075, 2018, 4, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cepa.881 by Hacettepe Universitesi, Wiley Online Library on [15/02/2024]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
STUMM ET AL .
incorporation of CSH with homogeneous nanoporous cell morphology
and sufficient mechanical stability into the AAC matrix promises sig-
nificant improvement for the material properties of the AAC product.
Material boundaries and chemical inhomogeneities are less likely than
in heterogeneous systems. The process for producing AAC remains
widely unchanged in this approach (Figure 1).
2.2 Processing
The company Celitement has developed a manufacturing process,
based on laboratory data, to provide material quantities required for
targeted large-scale tests and applications. Material quantities of sev-
eral 100 kg have to be produced.
The production of a lightweight aggregate is built up by two stages:
First the production of h-CSH (Ca1.25 [HSiO4 ]y [H2 Si2 O7 ]z ) and second
the fabrication of the lightweight aggregate. Figure 2 shows the pro-
cess chain being used. After the addition of water to h-CSH, a green
body granulate is produced in a pelletizing mixer where the reactants
are converted to a nanoporous CSH granulate (Figure 2).
To identify the ideal h-CHS binder for this process, the formation
conditions and the structures of this material with different C/S values
were determined on a laboratory scale.
Finally, sizing is carried out so that selected fractions can be used for
the final AAC recipe and process.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
It was possible to identify material for the project that forms a
nanoporous structure with pore diameters smaller than 50 nm during
hydration. A composition similar to the matrix of the AAC block was
obtained.
The open-pore microstructure has been analytically proven. The
complete progress of the hydration reaction can be demonstrated by
the distinct morphology of the hydration products (C-S-H phases).
These materials were used to produce the test specimens for the
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STUMM ET AL . 123

F I G U R E 3 Sedimentation of the NAPOS filler with a particle size 4–

8 mm in AAC (left), Filler size 4–8 mm (right)
Source: Xella.

FIGURE 6 Thermal conductivity of the AAC versus NAPOS-filler

content
Source: Xella.

F I G U R E 4 AAC green cake with NAPOS-filler after the horizontal

and vertical cutting machine
Source: Xella. FIGURE 7 Hygric behavior of the AAC versus NAPOS-filler content
Source: Xella.

castings at Xella. It was shown that the addition of granules does not
affect the formation of rising pores during the production of AAC.
At the beginning of the study, only small quantities of CSH
lightweight aggregates were available. The experiments, carried out at
Xella, were exclusively processed by castings with a volume of 17 litere.
The initial AAC mixture is a suspension of the solid components
sand, cement, lime, sulfate carrier, and water. A large variation of filler
types was investigated in small scale. The type of hydration and the
drying process of the filler during its production are not crucial for the
strength level of the finished AAC.
However, as in any suspension, the behavior of the particles is linked
to the forces that are predominant in such a heterogeneous mixture.
Filler types with a grain size greater than 2 mm, in particular 4 mm,
are prone to sedimentation (Figure 3).
The subsequent optimization of the grain size of the filler as well
as the use of construction chemicals (e.g., polycarboxylate ethers,
polyethylene glycol, and modified starch) in combination with opti-
FIGURE 5 Steam-cured AAC unit with NAPOS-filler
mized water–solid ratios successfully prevented sedimentation. Pro-
Source: Xella.
cess parameters, such as mixing speed and charging sequences, had to
be optimized. After the completed preliminary lab study, the experi-
ments were scaled up to the factory.
The volumes of the batches stirred in the large pilot plant mixer (a
factory by-pass system) were between 2.57 m3 and 5.4 m3 .

124
FIGURE 8 Demonstration wall.
Source: Xella.
Sedimentation has not been seen in the upscale process. The mate-
rial could be handled (Figure 4) in the ordinary factory layout, inclusive
cutting, autoclaving, and separating.
An AAC unit produced by using the filler is shown in Figure 5.
The strength level, expressed by the so called A-number [3], of the
finished AAC product is reduced by the use of NAPOS filler. The type of
hydration and the drying method of the filler during its production are
not decisive for A-number of the finished AAC. By a distinct reduction
of the particle diameter of the NAPOS filler, a loss in strength could be
widely prevented.
The content of 11 Å tobermorite in the final product is lower and the
amorphous content is higher due to the use of the poorly crystalline
NAPOS filler. The measured thermal conductivity (𝜆10,dry ) of AAC is
therefore reduced (Figure 6). At the same time, the shrinkage coeffi-
cient and the adsorption moisture content was heightened (Figure 7).
The decrease of the 𝜆10,dry is not beneficial since the degraded
hygroscopic properties lead to a higher 𝜆design . The poor phase com-
position of the end product was found as the main source for the poor
hygroscopic properties.
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STUMM ET AL .
From a procedural point of view, the “NAPOS approach” can be eas-
ily implemented into the AAC production process. Changes to the mix-
ing units and the cutting devices are not necessary due to the current
situation (40% NAPOS filler). Silo or tank capacities for the filler and
construction chemical additives must be made available. The limit is
currently 40% by weight and the grain size must not exceed 2 mm. In
case of higher NAPOS contents, changes to the mixing units cannot be
excluded. Technical approaches have been worked out in this study.
At the end of the project, a demonstration wall was built (Figure 8)
to prove the workability of the material at the Xella Technology and
Research Center.
4 CONCLUSIONS
In order to successfully complete the activities for lowering thermal
conductivity of the PP2 via the NAPOS approach, the hygric proper-
ties of the nanoporous filler must be improved. The bulk density of the
NAPOS aggregates must also be lowered, followed by increasing the
amount of NAPOS filler in the AAC mixture. As a consequence of this,
the thermal conductivity decreases.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors gratefully acknowledge the German Federal Ministry of
Education and Research for the financial support of this project.
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How to cite this article: Stumm A, Schweike U, Stemmermann
P. Nanostructured high insulating autoclaved aerated concrete.
ce papers. 2018;2:121–124. https://doi.org/10.1002/cepa.881