Influence of drying conditions on the contact-hardening behaviours of calcium silicate hydrate powder

Contact-hardening is a new type of binding property for amorphous calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) with which a hardened specimen can be prepared in a few minutes by compressing C-S-H powders directly. However, the relation between contact-hardening behaviours and the drying conditions of powders is still poorly understood. In this study, the influence of air-drying and oven-drying on the physical properties and microstructure of hydrothermally synthesised C-S-H powders were investigated. The results provide further insight into the contact-hardening behaviours of these powders by measuring the bulk density, mechanical strength and water-resistant properties of the compacts. Factors affecting particle-particle contact and hardening of C-S-H powders are discussed in parallel with the mechanical properties and microstructure of the compacts. The result highlights that the moisture content, which is highly related to the drying conditions, is essential to contact hardening of C-S-H.