The manufacture of natural hydraulic limes: Influence of raw materials' composition, calcination and slaking in the crystal-chemical properties of binders

This study aims to achieve an in-depth understanding of the manufacturing process of natural hydraulic lime (NHL) by assessing the influence of raw materials' chemical- mineralogical composition and the effect of the slaking process. NHLs with variable hydraulicity were manufactured using 56 raw materials from carbonate outcrops in Andalusia (Spain). This study shows that siliceous limestones with microcrystalline quartz generate hydraulic phases after calcination. However, when the amount of this reactive silica exceeds 18% by weight, CaO is not formed, and only calcium silicates appear. It was also found that slaking of NHL leads to partial hydration of the most reactive calcium silicates, reducing the expected reactivity of the lime. Instead, exposure of NHL quicklimes to environmental relative humidity promotes the formation of disordered portlandite and reduces the partial hydration of hydraulic phases. Our findings demonstrate that standard slaking can be replaced by alternative methods for the studied binders.