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Silica fume - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Silica fume
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Silica fume, also known as microsilica, (CAS number 69012-64-2,

EINECS number 273-761-1) is an amorphous (non-crystalline)
polymorph of silicon dioxide, silica. It is an ultrafine powder collected
as a by-product of the silicon and ferrosilicon alloy production and
consists of spherical particles with an average particle diameter of 150
nm. The main field of application is as pozzolanic material for high
performance concrete.
It is sometimes confused with fumed silica (also known as pyrogenic
silica, CAS number 112945-52-5, EINECS number 231-545-4).
However, the production process, particle characteristics and fields of
application of fumed silica are all different from those of silica fume.

Contents

Silica fume particles viewed in a

transmission electron microscope

1 History
2 Properties
3 Production
4 Applications
4.1 Concrete
5 See also
6 References
7 Further reading
8 External links

History
The first testing of silica fume in Portland-cement-based concretes was carried out in 1952. The biggest
drawback to exploring the properties of silica fume was a lack of material to experiment with. Early research
used an expensive additive called fumed silica, an amorphous form of silica made by combustion of silicon
tetrachloride in a hydrogen-oxygen flame. Silica fume on the other hand, is a very fine pozzolanic, amorphous
material, a by-product of the production of elemental silicon or ferrosilicon alloys in electric arc furnaces. Before
the late 1960s in Europe and the mid-1970s in the United States, silica fumes were simply vented into the
atmosphere.
With the implementation of tougher environmental laws during the mid-1970s, silicon smelters began to collect
the silica fume and search for its applications. The early work done in Norway received most of the attention,
since it had shown that Portland cement-based-concretes containing silica fumes had very high strengths and low
porosities. Since then the research and development of silica fume made it one of the worlds most valuable and
versatile admixtures for concrete and cementitous products.

Properties
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Silica fume is an ultrafine material with spherical particles less than 1 m in diameter, the average being about
0.15 m. This makes it approximately 100 times smaller than the average cement particle. [1] The bulk density
of silica fume depends on the degree of densification in the silo and varies from 130 (undensified) to 600 kg/m3.
The specific gravity of silica fume is generally in the range of 2.2 to 2.3. The specific surface area of silica fume
can be measured with the BET method or nitrogen adsorption method. It typically ranges from 15,000 to
30,000 m2/kg.[2]

Production
Silica fume is a byproduct in the carbothermic reduction of high-purity quartz with carbonaceous materials like
coal, coke, wood-chips, in electric arc furnaces in the production of silicon and ferrosilicon alloys.

Applications
Concrete
Because of its extreme fineness and high silica content, silica fume is a very effective pozzolanic material.[3][4]
Standard specifications for silica fume used in cementitious mixtures are ASTM C1240,[5] EN 13263.[6]
Silica fume is added to Portland cement concrete to improve its properties, in particular its compressive
strength, bond strength, and abrasion resistance. These improvements stem from both the mechanical
improvements resulting from addition of a very fine powder to the cement paste mix as well as from the
pozzolanic reactions between the silica fume and free calcium hydroxide in the paste.[7]
Addition of silica fume also reduces the permeability of concrete to chloride ions, which protects the reinforcing
steel of concrete from corrosion, especially in chloride-rich environments such as coastal regions and those of
humid continental roadways and runways (because of the use of deicing salts) and saltwater bridges.[8]
Prior to the mid-1970s, nearly all silica fume was discharged into the atmosphere. After environmental concerns
necessitated the collection and landfilling of silica fume, it became economically viable to use silica fume in
various applications, in particular high-performance concrete.[9] Effects of silica fume on different properties of
fresh and hardened concrete include

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a) Workability: With the addition of silica fume, the slump loss with time is directly proportional to increase in the
silica fume content due to the introduction of large surface area in the concrete mix by its addition. Although the
slump decreases, the mix remains highly cohesive.
b) Segregation and bleeding: Silica fume reduces bleeding significantly because the free water is consumed in
wetting of the large surface area of the silica fume and hence the free water left in the mix for bleeding also
decreases. Silica fume also blocks the pores in the fresh concrete so water within the concrete is not allowed to
come to the surface.

See also
Engineered cementitious composite
Fly ash
Kaolinite
Pozzolan
Rice husk ash
Metakaolin

References
1. ^ "Chapter 3 Fly Ash,Slag,Silica Fume,and Natural Pozzolans"
(http://www.ce.memphis.edu/1101/notes/concrete/PCA_manual/Chap03.pdf). The University of Memphis.
2. ^ "Silica Fume User's Manual" (http://www.silicafume.org/pdf/silicafume-users-manual.pdf). Silica Fume
Association.
3. ^ ACI Committee 226. 1987b. "Silica fume in concrete: Preliminary report", ACI Materials Journal March
April: 15866.
4. ^ Luther, M. D. 1990. "High-performance silica fume (microsilica)Modified cementitious repair materials".
69th annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board, paper no. 890448 (January)
5. ^ ASTM C1240. Standard Specification for Silica Fume Used in Cementitious Mixtures, http://astm.org
6. ^ EN 13263 Silica fume for concrete. http://www.cen.eu
7. ^ Detwiler, R.J. and Mehta, P.K., Chemical and Physical Effects of Silica Fume on the Mechanical Behavior
of Concrete (http://concreteinternational.com/pages/featured_article.asp?ID=2281), Materials Journal Nov.
1989
8. ^ Rachel J. Detwiler, Chris A. Fapohunda, and Jennifer Natale (January 1994). "Use of supplementary
cementing materials to increase the resistance to chloride ion penetration of concretes cured at elevated
temperatures" (http://www.concreteinternational.com/pages/featured_article.asp?ID=4451). Materials Journal.
9. ^ ACI 234R-06. Guide to Silica Fume in Concrete, American Concrete Institute (http://www.concrete.org)

Further reading
U.S. Federal Highway Administration. "Silica Fume"
(http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/materialsgrp/silica.htm). Retrieved 2007-01-24.
Portland Cement Association. "Chapter 3 Fly Ash,Slag,Silica Fume,and Natural Pozzolans"
(http://www.ce.memphis.edu/1101/notes/concrete/PCA_manual/Chap03.pdf). Retrieved 2012-04-07.
Silica Fume Association. "Silica Fume User's Manual" (http://www.silicafume.org/pdf/silicafume-usersmanual.pdf). Retrieved 2012-05-05.

External links
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Silica Fume Association (http://silicafume.org/)

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