Chloride binding capacity of various hydrated cement paste systems

The interaction mechanisms of the cement paste hydration products with chloride were investigated for various systems. Test parameters included water/binder ratio (0.25 and 0.45), type of cement (ASTM type I, III, and V), use of silica fume (6%), and chemical composition of the chloride solution. Powdered cement paste samples were immersed in solutions of different chloride concentrations. The total amount of bound chlorides was determined by measuring the equilibrium chloride concentration of the solution after 3 weeks of immersion. The chemical interaction of chlorides with the hydrated cement paste was also studied by X-ray diffratometry. Test results show that the total amount of bound chlorides increases with the chloride concentration of the solution. This nonlinear relationship can be represented best by a Freundlich isotherm. When expressed on a unit mass of cement gel basis, the total amount of bound chlorides was found to be independent of the water/binder ratio and the type of binder in all cases but one. The chloride binding capacity and the formation of chloroaluminates appear to be attributable not only to the tricalcium aluminate content but also to the total aluminate content of the cement. The use of calcium chloride instead of sodium chloride, as well as the use of a lime solution instead of an alkaline solution, increases the amount of bound chlorides.