Formation of magnesium silicate hydrates (M-S-H)

•M-S-H forms very slowly from SiO2 and MgO.•A “transitional” M-S-H with a Mg/Si ratio of ∼1 is formed at early age.•Mg/Si ratio in M-S-H is between 0.8 and 1.3.•Solubility of M-S-H can be described with a solid-solution model.•Similar solubility of M-S-H, talc and antigorite.

The formation of magnesium silicate hydrates (M-S-H) with MgO to SiO2 ratios from 0.7 to 1.6 has been studied at 20, 50 and 70 °C. TGA and XRD data reveal that initially brucite and M-S-H are formed while amorphous silica is still present as indicated by FT-IR and 29Si MAS NMR experiments. In this first step M-S-H with Mg/Si ∼1 with pH values ∼9.4 is formed independently of the total Mg/Si. Investigations by FT-IR and 29Si MAS NMR detail that the structure of that initial M-S-H evolved with time and M-S-H formed with Mg/Si ranging from ∼0.8 to ∼1.3 after 2 years at 20 °C and after 1 year at 50 and 70 °C. This implies that the composition of synthetic M-S-H depends strongly on temperature and equilibration time. At 50 and 70 °C the M-S-H formation occurs faster although it is thermodynamically slightly less stable. The solubility of M-S-H, talc and antigorite after 1 year or longer shows comparable trends.