Work

Superior performance of calcium sulfoaluminate binders in extremely low-pH sulfuric acid exposure

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: • Acid resistance of CSA-based binder was evaluated in a low pH acidic environment. • The CSA(HY) binder used in this study outperformed PC binder in sulfuric acid environment of pH 0.5. • A novel titration-based method was used for assessing the acid resistance of cementitious binders. Evaluation of acid resistance of underground structural elements such as concrete pipes carrying industrial or domestic wastewaters is crucial to ensure their long-term durability. Compositional variability of cementitious binders affects the performance of concrete exposed to acidic environment. In this study, chemical resistance of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA)-based binder and Portland cement (PC) are examined in low pH sulfuric acid environment. Based on the binders used in this study, CSA-based binder outperformed PC when exposed to sulfuric acid having pH of 0.5. A novel titration-based approach provided an accelerated method to monitor the acid resistance of different cementitious binders. The study shows how relative performance of PC and CSA based binder reverses when transitioning from high to low pH.

Source: Results in Engineering

DOI: 10.1016/j.rineng.2025.107602

Authors: Tom Damion, Piyush Chaunsali

Institution: Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Language: English

Topic: Concrete and Cement Materials Research

Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,940

Funders: Ministry of Education, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy