Reaction Products of MgO and Microsilica Cementitious Materials at Different Temperatures

The paste was prepared by mixing MgO, microsilica and H2O in the presence of water reducer at different reaction ratios and temperatures, and characterized by XRD, DTA, TGA, IR, and solid-state 29Si NMR. The experimental results showed that, besides Mg(OH)(2), magnesium silicate hydrate (M-S-H) was formed at a low temperature such as 25 and 50 degrees C. At a high temperature of 100 degrees C, Mg(OH)(2) can be further transformed into M-S-H completely, for instance, within ca. 1 month in an excess of microsilica. The average composition and structure of M-S-H was mainly related to the reaction mixture and curing temperature and was discussed in detail.