Study of the influence of alkaline ions (Li, Na and K) on the structure of the silicate entities in silico-alkaline sol and on the formation of the silico-calco-alkaline gel

The study of silico-calco-alkaline gel is essential to warn against the degradation of concrete due to the alkali-silica reaction. In the laboratory, those gels are simulated by the destabilization of a silico-alkaline sol by calcium ions. Their speed of formation depends on the alkali species. The influence of alkaline ions (Li, Na and K) on the structure of silicate entities in sol and on the gel formation has been studied. The state of polymerization of the silico-alkaline sol was determined by NMR and depends on the alkali species and the molar ratio (Rm = [SiO2]/[A(2)O] with A = Li, Na or K). It appears that lithium enhances the polymerization. By scattering techniques (SAXS and ELS), the evolution of size and number of scattering particles during gelation can be determined from scattering curves with Guinier approximation. The mechanism of gelation appears like a hierarchic structure composed with several discrete sizes.