Thermodynamic modelling of short and long term hydration of ternary binders. Influence of Portland cement composition and blast furnace slag content

•Thermodynamic modelling confirms the influence of the PC composition.•Ternary blends with FA are more dependent on the PC composition.•40–50% content of BFS in ternary blends is optimal. Ternary blends are currently used to improve the properties of Portland cement (PC). In this paper, thermodynamic modelling has been used to analyze the influence of the PC composition on the hydrates formed, in binary and ternary blends with blast furnace slag (BFS), and limestone filler (LF) or fly ash (FA) in order to complement experimental results. Thermodynamic modelling shows that contents of 40–50% of BFS can be optimal in ternary blends with low LF or FA content, and modelling also shows the significant effect of the composition of the PC used in the hydration process of the blends.