Contents

Compositional Heterogeneity of Hybrid Binder Gels in Ambient-Cured Fayalite-Slag Mortars: A Multiscale Ternary Reanalysis of Fe-Rich Alkali-Activated Systems

Author(s): Andrew Saint1, Naveed Ahmad2
1Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge
2Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Andrew Saint
Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge
Naveed Ahmad
Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Abstract

Fe-rich fayalite slag (FS) is an attractive low-clinker precursor for alkali-activated construction materials, yet its ambient-temperature reactivity is intrinsically limited. A recent ambient-cured mortar study demonstrated that replacing 20 wt.\% of FS with blast furnace slag (BFS) or ladle slag (LS) strongly improves kinetics, strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, and resistance to water ingress. The present article interrogates the same three mortar systems — AAFS, AAFS-BFS, and AAFS-LS — through a different analytical lens focused on binder-gel heterogeneity rather than only average composition. The analysis integrates the reported experimental matrix, the published EDS ternary point clouds, the reported atomic ratios, and the accompanying phase and performance descriptors. Ternary point clouds from the reported EDS diagrams were reconstructed by a reproducible image-based digitization workflow, normalized in simplex-consistent coordinates, and quantified using centroid displacement, convex-hull area, and covariance-ellipse spread. The resulting compositional fields reveal distinctions that are not captured adequately by mean ratios alone. In the Ca-Al-Si plane, AAFS occupies a narrow Si-rich domain, whereas AAFS-BFS shifts toward a Ca-rich field and AAFS-LS exhibits the broadest Ca-Al-bearing distribution, with a hull area about 8.9 times that of AAFS. In the Na-Fe-Si plane, AAFS remains Fe-enriched with an elongated tail, AAFS-BFS concentrates in a compact Si-dominant field, and AAFS-LS occupies an intermediate Na-bearing domain. These compositional patterns align with the reported calorimetric acceleration, the emergence of C-(A)-S-H/C-(N)-A-S-H signatures alongside Fe-bearing gel participation, and the superior transport-related performance of the blended mortars. As a secondary analytical study based on published measurements, the field metrics are interpreted conservatively as robust descriptors of relative heterogeneity rather than as substitutes for raw point-wise EDS export.

Copyright © 2023 Andrew Saint, Naveed Ahmad. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Cite this Article

APA
Saint, A., Ahmad, N. (2023). Compositional Heterogeneity of Hybrid Binder Gels in Ambient-Cured Fayalite-Slag Mortars: A Multiscale Ternary Reanalysis of Fe-Rich Alkali-Activated Systems. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, 37(4), 3-14. https://doi.org/10.66033/japr2022-401
MLA
Saint, Andrew, and Naveed Ahmad. "Compositional Heterogeneity of Hybrid Binder Gels in Ambient-Cured Fayalite-Slag Mortars: A Multiscale Ternary Reanalysis of Fe-Rich Alkali-Activated Systems." Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, vol. 37, no. 4, 2023, pp. 3-14.
Chicago
Saint, Andrew. "Compositional Heterogeneity of Hybrid Binder Gels in Ambient-Cured Fayalite-Slag Mortars: A Multiscale Ternary Reanalysis of Fe-Rich Alkali-Activated Systems." Journal of Architectural and Planning Research 37, no. 4 (2023): 3-14. https://doi.org/10.66033/japr2022-401
Harvard
Saint, A., Ahmad, N., 2023. Compositional Heterogeneity of Hybrid Binder Gels in Ambient-Cured Fayalite-Slag Mortars: A Multiscale Ternary Reanalysis of Fe-Rich Alkali-Activated Systems. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, 37(4), pp.3-14.
Vancouver
Saint A, Ahmad N. Compositional Heterogeneity of Hybrid Binder Gels in Ambient-Cured Fayalite-Slag Mortars: A Multiscale Ternary Reanalysis of Fe-Rich Alkali-Activated Systems. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research. 2023;37(4):3-14.