Hydrothermal reaction between C6S6H and kaolinite for the formation of tobermorite at 180°C

11 Å tobermorites were made from CSH (Ca/Si = 1.14) and kaolinite with Ca/(Si+Al) = 0.8 and Al/(Si+Al)= 0.15 at 180°C. The CSH was prepared from colloidal silica and lime at 130°C and 180°C for 2 h. Reaction gives in succession CSH, poorly crystalline Al-substituted tobermorite, and highly crystalline Al-substituted tobermorite. The addition of kaolinite markedly accelerates the formation of tobermorite within 4 h, more effectively with CSH prepared at 130°C than with that prepared at 180°C. X-ray fluorescence diffractometry shows that the Al coordination number is a mixture of 4 and 6 in the initial products and shifts to 4 with an increase in processing time. This agrees with the results for the degree of reaction of the kaolinite.