Moisture influence on compressive strength of ternary gypsum-based binders

Magdaléna Doleželová, and Alena Vimmrová

Citation: AIP Conference Proceedings 1863, 290003 (2017);

View online: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4992440
View Table of Contents: http://aip.scitation.org/toc/apc/1863/1
Published by the American Institute of Physics

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 Moisture Influence on Compressive Strength of Ternary
Gypsum-based Binders
Magdaléna Doleželová1, b) and Alena Vimmrová1, a)
1
Department of Materials Engineering and Chemistry, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in
Prague, Thákurova 7, 166 29 Prague, Czech Republic
a)
Corresponding author: vimmrova@fsv.cvut.cz
b)
magdalena.dolezelova@fsv.cvut.cz

Abstract. The environmental influence on the ternary gypsum-based binders is described in the paper. The ternary
mixtures were composed from gypsum, lime and pozzolan. The crushed ceramic, microsilica and granulated blast slag
were selected as representatives of pozzolan. Changes of compressive strength were investigated according to the method
of storing and treatment before the test. Samples with microsilica have the best results of compressive strength from all
tested mixtures when stored in the water and tested in moist state.

INTRODUCTION
The main advantages of gypsum binder and motivation for its broader use are the low temperature during
production, the production from secondary raw materials and recyclability. The main disadvantage of gypsum is its
poor resistance against water. Mechanical properties of gypsum decrease with the increasing moisture significantly.
According to Karni [1] the loss of compressive strength is up to 50%, when fully saturated by water, which limits
the application of gypsum in buildings. Therefore to solve this problem is an important task.
One possibility how to improve the moisture resistance of gypsum is to add the pozzolan into the gypsum
mixture. In this case there is necessary to add also third component, which plays the role of the alkaline activator of
pozzolan. Such a mixtures are referred to as ternary mixtures. As an alkaline activator the lime hydrate can be
employed because lime is commonly used in the combination with the gypsum e.g. in plasters. The authors
investigated the moisture resistance and durability of ternary gypsum mixtures with metakaolin [2] and
demonstrated a positive effect of pozzolan on the moisture resistance. The effect of wet environment was tested on
the ternary gypsum-based binders with three types of pozzolan.

MATERIALS AND COMPOSITIOUS

Each mixture was composed from gypsum, lime and pozzolan. The used pozzolans are described in the Table 1.
The gypsum was commercial product (producer GYPSTREND s.r.o.). The used lime was white hydrated lime
(producer Vápenka Čertovy schody a.s.). Lime served as an alkaline activator of pozzolanic reaction, because
pozzolan needs the alkaline environment for the formation of the CSH phases and ettringite.
The designation and composition of each mixture is shown in the Table 2. The pozzolan was dosed according to
amount of its amorphous phase in order to achieve the same amount of amorphous phase in each mixture and
therefore the results could be compared. The water ratio was determined by the flow test for diameter 190 ± 5 mm.
TABLE 1. Properties of used pozzolan
Amorphous Amount in
Pozzolan Producer
phase (%) the mixture (%)
Crushed ceramic HELUZ cihlářský průmysl v.o.s. 45.3 16.8
Microsilica Stachema 90 8.5
Granulated blast slag (GBS) Kotouč Štramberk 87.7 8.7

International Conference of Numerical Analysis and Applied Mathematics (ICNAAM 2016)

AIP Conf. Proc. 1863, 290003-1–290003-4; doi: 10.1063/1.4992440
Published by AIP Publishing. 978-0-7354-1538-6/$30.00

290003-1
 TABLE 2. Composition of mixtures
Designation of the mixture Type of pozzolan Pozzolan (%) Lime (%) Gypsum (%) Water (ml/kg)
CC Crushed ceramic 16.8 10 73.2 680
MI Microsilica 8.5 10 81.5 730
GBS GBS 8.7 10 81.3 670
COM - - 10 90 700

PROCEDURE OF TESTING
The samples were produced and tested according to requirements of standard ČSN EN 13279-2 [3]. The samples
for the testing of the compressive strength fc [MPa] were prisms with the size 40 x 40 x 160 mm and each test set
was composed of three samples. Bulk density ρv [kg/m3] and compressive strength fc [MPa] were tested on each set.
Bulk density ρv [kg/m3] was determined by the gravimetric method from the mass and dimensions of the samples.
Compressive strength was tested on the mechanical press FP 100 (VEB Industriewerk Ravenstein). The samples
were tested at the age of 7, 28 and 90 days.

Storage of Samples
The samples were stored and tested in different moisture conditions. The storage and testing conditions of all
samples are given in the Table 3.
Half of the samples was stored in the climate chamber with the relative humidity of 55% (samples LD and LU)
and rest of the samples was put into the water and was also placed into the climate chamber (samples WD and WU).
Temperature in the climate chamber was 22 °C.
The samples were removed from the climate chamber at a given age. The samples LD and WD were dried to
constant mass before the tests. The drying temperature was 50 °C because at higher temperature also the chemically
bound water should be removed and material would decompose. Samples LU and WU were not dried and were
tested immediately after taking out from water.
TABLE 3. Storage and preparation of samples
Designation Air Water Dried before the test
LD RH 55 No Yes
LU RH 55 No No
WD No Yes Yes
WU No Yes No

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Physical Properties
The bulk density was measured only on samples which were dried before testing of the mechanical properties
(LD, WD). The bulk density of samples stored in laboratory condition (LD) is in the Table 4. The bulk density of
samples stored in the water (WD) is in the Table 5. The samples with microsilica (MI) have the lowest bulk density.
The bulk density of the other samples is nearly equal and does not change significantly in time.
TABLE 4. Bulk density - samples stored in the laboratory conditions - LD (kg/m3)
Age CC MI GBS COM
7 days 1048 990 1079 1030
28 days 1064 996 1078 1062
90 days 1066 1015 1060 1057

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 TABLE 5. Bulk density - samples stored in the water - WD (kg/m3)
Age CC MI GBS COM
7 days 1054 998 1077 1024
28 days 1061 995 1070 1036
90 days 1048 997 1049 1006

The moisture (by mass) of samples which were not dried before testing is in the Table 6. The samples stored in
the water (WU) have very similar values of moisture, in the range 53.6 % to 57.2 %. The bigger difference is in the
moisture content of the samples stored in the air (LU). Samples with microsilica absorbed air humidity at least, their
value of moisture is half than the moisture of the samples without pozzolan. Samples without pozzolan have the
highest moisture.
TABLE 6. Moisture by mass at the age 7 days (%)
Storage CC MI GBS COM
RH 55 % 19.2 9.9 15.8 20.3
water 53.6 54.4 55.1 57.2

Compressive Strength
All values of compressive strength are given in the Figure 1. The behavior of the particular mixtures is different,
but there could be observed some positive trends for ternary binders with pozzolan. All charts confirm the typical
behavior of gypsum, compressive strength of all materials decreases with the increasing moisture of samples. The
best values of the compressive strength were always reached when the samples were dried before the test.
Very interesting is behavior of samples stored in the water and tested in moist state (WU). The samples without
pozzolan (COM-WU) lost the compressive strength over time (about 20 % at 90 days), while the compressive
strength of all samples with pozzolan increases. The samples with microsilica (MI-WU) are best suited for storage in
water, because they have the biggest increase of the strength in the water (more than 200 % at 90 days) and also
their compressive strength in the moist state is highest.
The compressive strength of the dried samples is significantly higher for all mixtures (LD, WD). The strength of
all dry materials is similar (with the exception of microsilica). The samples with microsilica (MI) have the
compressive strength lower about 20 %. The biggest difference between the strength in the dry and moist state has
the material without pozzolan and the material with crushed ceramic, both stored in water (80 %), while the material
with the microsilica has the decrease of strength only about 30 %.

(a) (b)

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 (c) (d)
FIGURE 1. Compressive strength (MPa) - (a) samples with crushed ceramic, (b) samples with microsilica,
(c) samples with granulated blast slag, (d) samples without pozzolan
LD -samples stored in air and dried before test, WD -stored in water and dried before test, LU - stored in air and
tested in moist state, WU - stored in water and tested in moist state

CONCLUSION
The addition of the pozzolan to the gypsum-lime binder has not the significant influence on the mechanical
properties, when material is dried before testing (with the exception of the microsilica). When the materials are
stored in the water and tested in moist state, than the behavior of the materials with pozzolan is better. Their
compressive strength increases over time, while the compressive strength of material without pozzolan decreases
and also their loss of strength in the moist state is significantly lower (with the exception of the crushed ceramic).
The material with microsilica has the lowest compressive strength in the dry state, but it is best suited for use in wet
conditions.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research has been supported by the project of GAČR Nr. 16-01438S.

REFERENCES
1. J. Karni, E. Karni, Materials and Structures 28(2), 92-100, (1995).
2. M. Doleželová, L. Scheinherrová, A. Vimmrová, “Moisture resistance and durability of the ternary gypsum-
based binders” in 7th International Conference on Building Materials, edited by E. Vejmelková et al. (Trans
Tech Publications, Uetikon-Zurich, 2015), pp. 81-87.
3. ČSN EN 13279-2 Gypsum binders and gypsum plasters. Test methods. Czech Standardization Institute.
Prague; 2014

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