Chloride ions diffusion in hydrated cement paste immersed in saturated NH4Cl solution

The pastes were produced from two Portland cement of very differentiated C(3)A content which was immersed in the saturated NH4Cl solution. The concentration of Cl- ions in the paste samples were determined after different time of immersion. The ions concentration was measured using ASTM C1218 method, in which the crushed samples were boiled 5 min in water. Higher concentration of Cl- was found in the sample of the paste from cement richer in tricalcium aluminate. Simultaneously in the same samples the content of Friedel's salt was higher, which should be expected. The stable phases in the paste submitted to NH4Cl action was gypsum and probably amorphous silica and aluminium as well as iron hydroxides, not detectable under X-ray examination. From clinker phases browmillerite remained till 25 days of immersion.