Effect of Ca/Si ratio on the properties of steel slag and deactivated ZSM-5 autoclaved aerated concrete

In this study, the feasibility of the complete replacement of lime by steel slag (SS) as a calcium material with deactivated ZSM-5 for the preparation of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) was investigated. The effects of the Ca/Si ratio on the foaming effect, bulk density and mechanical strength, mineral composition, pore structure and microstructure were studied. The results show that the increase of the Ca/Si ratio enhanced the early foaming effect. AAC with an optimum Ca/Si ratio of 0.92 had a compressive strength and bulk density of 3.1 MPa and 535 kg/m3, respectively, meeting the national standards (GB/T 11968-2020) of grade A2.5 and B05. The increase of the Ca/Si ratio significantly reduced the number of pores with a pore size greater than 60 mu m. In addition, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results show that an elevated Ca/Si ratio will change the shape and crystallinity of tobermorite.