Pozzolanic Reactions in Cementitious Materials for Subsurface Applications Available to Purchase

Silica fume (SF) is used as a constituent to formulate cementitious materials for subsurface (oil-well) applications, e.g. by the offshore industry. Using green supplementary pozzolanic materials like silica fume could both improve the material’s performance and the footprint of the sustainable solution. X-ray diffraction and isothermal calorimetry were employed to investigate the evolution of cement paste hydration (water to binder ratio 0.44) after 14 h, 3, 7, and 28 days of curing. Experimental results are presented for both cement pastes made of Class G Portland cement and for a blended paste system where 8% of the Class G cement has been replaced by silica fume. The results indicate beneficial effects of SF on the microstructural development of the slurry.