Abstract
The work aimed to study the impact of nano-Fe2O3 on the characteristics and durability resistance against SO42 or Cl anions attack. Nano-Fe2O3 prepared from the heating of Fe(CH3COO)(2)OH at 300 degrees C (NFI) and 450 degrees C (NFII) at soaking time 2hrs. The prepared nano-Fe2O3 showed the accumulation of hematite and fine-ferrihydrite crystals having grain size of approximate to 10-20 nm. Physico-mechanical, chemical, microstructure, and durability were investigated. The compressive strength and chemically combined water contents increased upto 1.0 mass% nano-Fe2O3. The increase of nano-Fe2O3 upto 2%, the values of combined water contents decreased, however these values are larger than those of neat-OPC paste. The portlandite reduction of nano-Fe2O3-composite pastes prepared at 300 degrees C are higher than those of prepared at 450 degrees C. Mix having 1.0 mass% nano-Fe2O3 (NFI2) contributed the lower porosity values than specimens containing 1.5 and 2.0 mass% nano-Fe2O3 processed at 300 degrees C. Nano-Fe2O3 improves the durability of nano-Fe2O3-composite pastes towards SO42 or Cl ions attack. Mixes containing 0.5-1.0% nano-Fe2O3 showed the lower values of total sulphate and total chloride contents, due to formation of a denser and finer-matrix with lower porosity, which blocked the empty pores for the diffusion of SO42 or Cl ions, hence they showed the higher values of compressive strength and bulk density. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.