Mechanism of C4AF Content and Heat-curing Process on the Abrasion Resistance of High Ferrite Cement

Cement used in severe maritime environments must be attached with exceptional properties such as high sulfate resistance and abrasion strength. A sulfate resistant material typically used in marine engineering is high ferrite cement, which has been utilized in sulfate-rich environments. This study aims at exploring the effect of C 4 AF and heat-curing on the abrasion resistance of high ferrite cement (HFC, C 4 AF: 14%–22%) in order to have a comprehensive understanding of this mechanism and promote the application of HFC in marine engineering. A new invention was designed for the abrasion resistance device by considering the sea-wave abrasion and seawater erosion in laboratory. The compressive strength and abrasion resistance of HFC were measured. Additionally, advanced analytical methods were used to explore the abrasion resistance mechanism of HFC, including X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric (TG) analyses, as well as mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). The results showed that HFC had the best abrasion resistance under appropriate heat-curing system that the curing temperature was 50 °C and the hosting time was 4 hours, compared with PI (Portland cement) and LHC (low heat cement), meanwhile the abrasion resistance of HFC had a 62.4% increase when C 4 AF content is increased from 14% to 22%. It can be ascribed that the content of portlandite is decreased due to the increase of C 4 AF, which can reduce the portlandite assembled in ITZ (interfacial transition zone). It can also be ascribed that the DEF (delayed ettringite formation) is successfully avoided in HFC and the hydration degree of HFC can continue to be boosted under appropriate heat-curing system.