Modeling of early age loss of lithium ions from pore solution of cementitious systems treated with lithium nitrate

Addition of lithium nitrate admixture to the fresh concrete mixture helps to minimize potential problems related to alkali-silica reaction. For this admixture to function as an effective ASR control measure, it is imperative that the lithium ions remain in the pore solution. However, it was found that about 50% of the originally added lithium ions are removed from the pore solution during early stages of hydration.This paper revealed that the magnitude of the Li+ ion loss is highly dependent on the concentration of Li+ ions in the pore solution and the hydration rate of the cementitious systems. Using these findings, an empirical model has been developed which can predict the loss of Li+ ions from the pore solution during the hydration period. The proposed model can be used to investigate the effects of mixture parameters on the loss of Li+ ions from the pore solution of cementitious system.