Lithium-treated calcium aluminate cement (CAC)-based products, concretes, and related techniques
Lithium-treated calcium aluminate cement (CAC)-based products, concretes, and related techniques are disclosed. In accordance with some embodiments, a lithium-treated CAC mixture may be produced by intergrinding ground-down CAC, class C fly ash, a lithium compound, and a polycarboxylate material. In accordance with some embodiments, a cementitious material may be produced by intergrinding said lithium-treated CAC mixture with class C fly ash, sodium citrate, and a polycarboxylate material. In accordance with some embodiments, a concrete may be produced by mixing said cementitious material (including said lithium-treated CAC mixture) with rock, sand, and water.
1. A method comprising:
producing a cementitious material comprising:
a calcium aluminate cement (CAC)-based mixture comprising:
calcium aluminate cement (CAC);
a first amount of class C fly ash;
a lithium compound; and
a first polycarboxylate material;
a second amount of class C fly ash;
sodium citrate; and
a second polycarboxylate material.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CAC constitutes about 80-90 wt % of the CAC-based mixture.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CAC has been ground down.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the CAC has been ground down so as to have a BET surface area increase of about 1-15% as compared to unground CAC.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the CAC has been ground down so as to have an average particle size in the range of about 20-35 μm.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first amount of class C fly ash constitutes about 10-20 wt % of the CAC-based mixture.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lithium compound constitutes about 0.01-0.3 wt % of the CAC-based mixture.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lithium compound comprises at least one of lithium chloride (LiCl), lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ), lithium hydroxide (LiOH), and lithium citrate (Li 3 C 6 H 5 O 7 ).
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lithium compound comprises lithium chloride (LiCl).
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lithium compound comprises lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ).
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first polycarboxylate material constitutes about 0.01-0.2 wt % of the CAC-based mixture.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second amount of class C fly ash constitutes about 70-90 wt % of the cementitious material.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sodium citrate constitutes about 5-7 wt % of the cementitious material.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CAC-based mixture constitutes about 10-25 wt % of the cementitious material.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CAC-based mixture constitutes about 10-15 wt % of the cementitious material.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CAC-based mixture constitutes about 15-25 wt % of the cementitious material.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second polycarboxylate material constitutes about 0.01-0.2 wt % of the cementitious material.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second polycarboxylate material is of the same chemical composition as the first polycarboxylate material.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein producing the cementitious material involves intergrinding the second amount of class C fly ash, the sodium citrate, the CAC-based mixture, and the second polycarboxylate material.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the intergrinding is performed for about 10 minutes±5 minutes.
21. A method comprising:
producing a concrete comprising:
the cementitious material produced according to claim 1 ;
water; and
at least one of rock and sand.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the cementitious material constitutes about 8-15 wt % of the concrete.
23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the cementitious material constitutes about 15-25 wt % of the concrete.
24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the water constitutes about 2-10 wt % of the concrete.
25. The method of claim 21 , wherein the concrete has a water-to-cement ratio in the range of about 0.25-0.4.
26. A concrete produced according to claim 21 .
27. A concrete product comprising the concrete of claim 26 .
28. A method comprising:
producing a calcium aluminate cement (CAC)-based mixture comprising:
calcium aluminate cement (CAC);
a first amount of class C fly ash;
a lithium compound; and
a first polycarboxylate material;
wherein producing the CAC-based mixture involves intergrinding the CAC, the first amount of class C fly ash, the lithium compound, and the first polycarboxylate material; and
wherein at least one of:
the intergrinding is performed for about 30 minutes±10 minutes;
the intergrinding is performed until a D90 particle size distribution in the range of about 30-40 μm is achieved for the CAC-based mixture; and
the intergrinding is performed utilizing a triethanol amine (TEA) grinding aid.
29. The method of claim 28 , wherein:
the CAC-based mixture further comprises the TEA grinding aid; and
the TEA grinding aid constitutes about 0.01-0.1 wt % of the CAC-based mixture.