Opc-fly ash cementitious systems: study of gel binders produced during alkaline hydration

In the present paper, experiments were performed on blended cements containing 30% Portland cement clinker and 70% fly ash. The powdery material was mixed with deionised water for ‘‘normal’’ hydration, and with two different alkaline solutions for ‘‘normal’’ alkaline activation. The mechanical strength developed by this highly blended cement differed significantly depending on the hydrating solution used. XRD, FTIR and 29Si MAS-NMR characterisation studies were conducted to obtain information on the complex structural nature of the hardened matrices, which in all cases consisted of a mixture of amorphous gels (C-S-H + N-A-S-H gel). These highly blended cements are able to comply with the specifications defined in the European Standard EN-197-1:2000.