The mechanical properties of Portland cement are closely related to the chemical composition of the clinker, and particularly to the concentration of tricalcium silicate, 3CaO.SiO2, or C3S. In the industrial production process, the clinker must be rapidly quenched, to avoid its decomposition into dicalcium silicate and lime. This work studies the kinetics of thermal decomposition of pure C3S. The continuous cooling transformation of pure C3S showed a decomposition rate higher than the values traditionally accepted in the literature.
Cement; pure alite; decomposition
