Thermo-hydrous behavior of hardened cement paste based on calcium aluminate cement

Refractory castables based on aluminous hydraulic binders are commonly used in aluminium casthouses (furnaces, ducts, etc.). Their selection is based on their good mechanical strength, thermal behavior and compatibility with molten aluminium. However, few studies focus on their hydrous evolution in operation, whereas this property can also have an influence on the produced metal quality. In this article, the internal moisture of twelve hardened cement pastes fired at high temperature, made with four aluminous hydraulic binders and three different Water/Binder ratios was registered under diverse thermo-hydrous conditions, including at high temperature. The water trapped by physisorption and chemisorption can be significant for some products, and it strongly depends on the mineralogy and porosity of the hardened cement paste. The more the binders contain alumina phase, the more the hardened cement pastes mobilize and render moisture.