Calcium aluminate cement (CAC) and magnesium oxide (MgO) are two of the most important raw materials for refractory castables industry and both present a high driving force for hydration. The effects of this reaction for each compound are well known: whereas the hydrated CAC behaves as a binder, hardening the castable, MgO hydration can cause the total disintegration of the material. Due to the technological interests involved, it is important to study the peculiarities in these processes and their potential interactions. In the present work, the effects of the addition of different CAC contents on MgO hydration were investigated in aqueous suspensions by means of apparent volumetric expansion, pH measurements and qualitative X-ray diffraction. It was found out that the deleterious effects of MgO hydration can be significantly reduced with a proper control of the CAC content for the formulations.
magnesium oxide; calcium aluminate cement; hydrotalcite; hydration
