Determining technological parameters for stabilizing the porous structure of silica concrete

The object of this study is a gas-silicon concrete mix. The task under consideration is to synchronize the processes of pore formation and increase plastic strength, which ensures the stability of the porous structure. The optimal values of water-solid mixture (0.3–0.35), the amount of ground quicklime (up to 1.5 %) and aluminum powder (0.04–0.1 %) were experimentally determined to enable the formation of a stable porous structure with a minimum plasticity of 10 kPa, sufficient for autoclave processing. The formation of a porous structure is enabled by synthesizing tricalcium hydroaluminate, which is a product of reaction between quicklime and aluminum powder. Tricalcium hydroaluminate is highly reactive, which ensures accelerated increase in strength. This allows the sedimentation of the material to be eliminated and the porous structure to be stabilized before the autoclave process begins. The results show that the increase in the amount of aluminum powder has a positive impact on the structural value of the mixture, so that the excess of the permissible level of ground quicklime (1.5 %) leads to a decrease in the strength of the end product. Thus, an important compromise task has been solved: synchronization of the processes of pore formation of the silica-concrete mixture and the growth of plastic strength over time in component ratios that do not interfere with the hardening of the silicon concrete mixture during autoclave processing. The use of crushed quicklime and aluminum powder in specific dosages helps achieve high environmental standards by reducing the volume of conventional resources such as Portland cement in industrial processes. Thus, the results of the study form a scientific basis for the introduction of new types of environmentally friendly construction materials with improved characteristics