Synthesis and Investigation of the Hydration Degree of CA2 Phase Modified with Boron and Fluorine Compounds

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of fluoride and boron compound additives on the synthesis and hydration process of calcium aluminate (CA2). The analysis showed that the temperature of the full synthesis of CA2 without mineralizing additives was 1500 °C. However, the addition of fluorine and boron compounds at 1% and 3% significantly reduced the synthesis temperature to a range of 1100–1300 °C. The addition of fluoride compounds did not result in the formation of fluoride compounds from CaO and Al2O3, except for the calcium borate phase (Ca3(BO3)2) under certain conditions. In addition, the cellular parameters of the synthesized calcium aluminate phases were not affected by the use of these additives. Hydration studies showed that fluoride additives accelerate the hydration process, potentially improving mechanical properties, while boron additives slow down the reaction with water. These results highlight the relevance of fluoride and boron additives to the synthesis process and hydration kinetics of calcium aluminate, suggesting the need for further research to optimize their application in practice. TG studies confirmed the presence of convergence with respect to X-ray determinations made. SEM, EDS and elemental concentration maps confirmed the presence of a higher Al/Ca ratio in the samples and also showed the presence of hexagonal and regular hydration products.