The hardening accelerators were prepared from calcium-aluminate glass, anhydrite and/or sodium carbonate, and the effects of the sodium carbonate on the hydration and the properties of the hardening accelerator based on calcium-aluminate glass were discussed. In this study, the CaO/Al
2O
3 molar ratio of calcium-aluminate glass was about 1.7, corresponding to 12CaO·7Al
2O
3. Ordinary Portland cement and the hardening accelerator were mixed, and the behavior of setting and hardening, the amount of hydration products and the ion concentrations in the solution extracted from paste samples were measured. The results obtained are as follows; 1) Sodium carbonate extended the workable time of the mortar containing the accelerator.This was caused by the deterrent effect of sodium carbonate on the formation of ettringite at very early stage of hydration.
2) Sodium carbonate canceled the inhibitory action of Al-rich gelous hydrates produced by the hydration of calcium-aluminate glass, and recovered the development of strength at 1 day. It is considered that these effects were caused by the accelerating action on the early hydration of cement.
3) The formation of ettringite, which significantly influences the hardening behavior, was mainly controlled by the dissolution of calcium-aluminate glass in the case that the accelerator containing sodium carbonate was used. And in the case that the accelerator without sodium carbonate was mixed with cement, it was mainly controlled by the dissolution of anhydrite.
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