Low-CO2 cements based on LC3 cement doped with titania; rheology, calorimetry, and microstructure

Authors

  • Martin Boháč Research Institute for Building Materials, Hněvkovského 30, 617 00 Brno, Czech Republic
  • Dalibor Všianský Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, Department of Geological Sciences, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
  • Karel Dvořák Brno University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Veveří 331, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
  • Michaela Krejčí Kotlánová Research Institute for Building Materials, Hněvkovského 30, 617 00 Brno, Czech Republic
  • Martin Nguyen Research Institute for Building Materials, Hněvkovského 30, 617 00 Brno, Czech Republic
  • Dana Kubátová Research Institute for Building Materials, Hněvkovského 30, 617 00 Brno, Czech Republic
  • Theodor Staněk Research Institute for Building Materials, Hněvkovského 30, 617 00 Brno, Czech Republic
  • Zdeněk Krejza Research Institute for Building Materials, Hněvkovského 30, 617 00 Brno, Czech Republic

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14311/AP.2026.66.0117

Keywords:

TiO2 doping, clinker, LC3, rheology, isothermal calorimetry, microstructure

Abstract

Reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions has recently become a priority for the cement industry. The most effective approach appears to be replacing Portland clinker with high levels of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). The general approach is to use clinker with a high alite content and high reactivity, especially during the initial hydration phase. TiO2 is one of the common minor oxides in industrial clinker, typically present at about 0.3 wt. %. Previous studies have shown that TiO2 concentrations around 1% improve strength. This study investigates the performance of a TiO2-doped clinker (1 wt. %) in binary and ternary blends with calcined clay and limestone, focusing on its effect on hydration, rheology, and microstructure.
The reactivity of cement pastes over 72 hours was determined using isothermal calorimetry, while rheological parameters and the thixotropy index were assessed during the first 45 minutes of hydration. The phase composition development was monitored using QXRD after 2, 7 and 28 days, and microstructure was examined using SEM-EDS (SE) after 2 and 28 days of hydration. The use of TiO2-doped clinker in LC3 shows a promising potential for sustainable cement production, owing to the synergistic effect of minor elements introduced into clinker minerals during firing and the high reactivity of limestone combined with calcined clay.

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Published

2026-05-15

Issue

Vol. 66 No. 2 (2026)

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Martin Boháč, Dalibor Všianský, Karel Dvořák, Michaela Krejčí Kotlánová, Martin Nguyen, Dana Kubátová, Theodor Staněk, Zdeněk Krejza

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Boháč, M., Všianský, D., Dvořák, K. ., Krejčí Kotlánová, M., Nguyen, M., Kubátová, D., Staněk, T. ., & Krejza, Z. (2026). Low-CO2 cements based on LC3 cement doped with titania; rheology, calorimetry, and microstructure. Acta Polytechnica, 66(2), 117–126. https://doi.org/10.14311/AP.2026.66.0117