Titanium fume and ilmenite fines characterization for their use in cement-based materials

A series of characterization experiments was conducted to evaluate two by-products from the iron and titanium industry (ilmenite fines and titanium fume) to be use in cement-based materials. Although these by-products show a weak reactivity (early age), their physical properties, especially in the case of titanium fume, which is formed of spherical particles with a mean particle diameter of 1.7 μm, lead to an enhancement of the mechanical strength of mortars (for mortars containing up to 5% replacement of cement). For larger substitution rates, their efficiency coefficients stand between those of inert and pozzolanic materials.