Silica fume (SF) has been widely used in cement based products, as it promotes a better packing and increases its mechanical strength, either by its pozzolanic activity, and/or by the filler effect promoted by its fine particle size distribution. However, in order to achieve these benefits, the SF must be dispersed in the suspension, exposing completely its reactive surface and improving particle packing. As a by-product of metallic silicon production, SF particles are strongly bonded as a consequence of densification process involved during its generation, resulting in macroscopic agglomerated grains that require high energy for an effective dispersion. Then, the present study reports the SF dispersion in deionized water under low and high shear conditions, imposed by using a conventional laboratory suspension mixer and a high energy in-line mixer, respectively.
silica fume; dispersion; shear energy
