Chemical resistance of Portland cement, blast-furnace slag portland cement and sulphoaluminate-belite cement in acid, chloride and sulphate solution: Some preliminary results

Durability of concrete significantly depends on the cement matrix resistance against the aggressive environmental conditions. Information on chemical resistance of the cement in various aggressive media is very useful for the durability assessment of cement based materials. The aim of this contribution is the chemical resistance study of a sulphoaluminate belite (SAB) cement based on fly ash as industrial by-product raw material, exposed to the acid, chloride and sulphate solution for 180 days. For comparison, test specimens made from ordinary Portland cement (OPC), and blast-furnace slag Portland cement (BFSPC) with higher chemical resistance were used. All cement types and materials are of Romanian provenance. The test results show that the fly ash - based SAB cement is similarly resistant against acid, chloride and sulphate attack when compared to OPC and BFSPC. A half-year testing period enables preliminary evaluation of the cements' resistance due to relative short exposure times.