A new phase diagram for the CaOAl2O3SiO2H2O hydroceramic system at 200 °C

A new phase diagram is reported for the CaOAl2O3SiO2H2O (CASH) system at 200 °C. This system is rare in nature but has applications in cementing geothermal and deep oil wells. The phase diagram was constructed by synthesising a range of hydroceramics with CASH assemblages from oilwell cement, silica flour (quartz) and alumina (corundum). A hydroceramic is defined as any ceramic material incorporating water as H2O or OH. At 200 °C, gyrolite, hillebrandite, jaffeite, portlandite, quartz, 11 Å tobermorite, xonotlite, hibschite and katoite were observed as product phases. The mineral assemblages produced the following three-phase triangles in the CaOAl2O3SiO2 diagram: Gyr + Qtz + Xon; Crn + Tob + Xon; Crn + Hib + Xon; Crn + Hib + Jaf; Crn + Jaf + Kat; Hib + Jaf + Por; Hib + Jaf + Xon; and two reactions are found to be in progress at 200 °C. When alumina is present in the reaction mixture, the thermal stability of tobermorite is extended to higher temperature, and the crystallinity of tobermorite and xonotlite enhanced.