Hydration and hardening characteristics of cement using desert sand as a silica source

Abstract The production of silicate cement consumes huge amounts of silica‐rich raw materials and causes serious land environmental damage. Replacing silica raw materials with low‐value raw materials and wastes can relieve these problems. This study proposes the use of desert sand as a silica source for the fabrication of silicate cement. The hydration characteristics of cement, along with the microstructure and mechanical properties of hardened cement paste, were investigated and compared with those of ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The results showed that the desert‐sand cement had a faster hydration rate and higher hydration degree than OPC. The hardened paste exhibited a denser microstructure, as well as higher compressive strength and elastic modulus. The highest hydration degree of 66.88 and 75.48%, and compressive strength of 45.62 MPa and 81.29 MPa, were determined at 3 and 28 days, respectively, when using the finest cement particles (D50 of 7.182 µm). These behaviors are derived from the relatively high phase content and hydration activity of 3CaO∙SiO 2 . This product outperforms OPC in hydration characteristics, mechanical properties, and fabrication cost, making it particularly suitable for projects with high early‐strength requirements.