Siliceous rocks as modifiers of structure of photocatalytic self-cleaning concrete. Assessment of the effect on the phase composition of cement stone

Abstract

Introduction. Currently one of the focus areas for the development of construction material science is the creation of self-cleaning concretes characterized by polydisperse multicomponent composition with the presence of nanoscale photocatalytic additives, primarily based on TiO2 . These photoactive modifiers give the material a number of positive properties, including the ability to decompose atmospheric pollutants, to self-clean the surface, etc. The promising method for improving the functional characteristics of titanium oxide photocatalysts is the creation of nanostructured systems with ‘core (substrate) – shell (photocatalyst)’ architecture. Previous research results show that the final efficiency of the synthesized composite photocatalytic modifiers largely depends on the level of substrate reactivity in the cement system. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of three types of siliceous rocks (diatomite, trepel, and opoka) on cement stone formation processes and to identify the most effective raw materials for use as photocatalytic carriers in self-cleaning concrete compositions. Methods and materials. The methods of Kozeny-Karman, laser diffraction and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry were used to determine the specific surface area and parameters of granulometric and chemical compositions of silicite samples. The phase composition of siliceous rocks and modified cement systems was studied by X-ray powder diffractometry. Results and discussion. The main parameters of granulometric composition of diatomite, trepel and opoka were determined. The predominance of reactive modifications of free silica (47.6–78.0 wt. %), represented by amorphous opal-A or cryptocrystalline OCT-phase (opal-CT), were revealed in the structure of silicites. It was found that increasing the dosages of silica-containing additives from 0 to 10% resulted in decreased by 10–27% in the quantity of portlandite in the phase composition of cement stone aged 28 days, while the content of high-strength low-basic calcium hydrosilicates (C–S–H (I)) increased by 11–27%. Conclusion. The chemical and mineralogical composition peculiarities of silicites, as well as the nature of the impact of silica-containing modifiers on the structure formation processes of cement systems, determine the prospects of using opal-cristobalite rocks as dispersed photocatalyst carriers for self-cleaning concrete.

Keywords

• self-cleaning concrete
• composite photocatalyst
• siliceous rock
• silica
• pozzolanic reactivity
• portland cement
• supplementary cementitious material
• hydration
• cement stone
• microstructure
• phase composition
• x-ray diffraction