**7. References**


From Fig. 24, compared to cement paste, the ratios of capillary pores fraction of cement + 30% FA and cement + 65% BFS were higher than cement paste after carbonation. Some research showed that blended concrete has high carbonation rate [96], high degree of carbonation [97] or large carbonation depth [98] compared to the ordinary cement concrete. The carbonation susceptibility of blended concrete may be another reason for the negative

Besides, according to the review of indoor tests of "salt weathering" on concrete, two experimental results were observed showing that sulfate crystallization can be detected in the calcite crystals, the carbonation products of concrete (Fig. 12) and that carbonation could accelerate the concrete damage (Fig. 17). It might be that the efflorescence also occurs after

In summary, the effect of carbonation on sulfate resistance of partially exposed concrete is not clear. Further research will contribute to disclose the mechanism of "salt weathering" on

"Salt weathering" on concrete by sulfates is a deceptive and misleading phenomenon. In this paper, according to the comparison between the basic principles of salt weathering on porous materials and the abnormal appearances of "salt weathering" on concrete, the conclusion can be drawn that the salt weathering distress is not the major reason causing concrete damage when partially exposed to the sulfate environment. Chemical sulfate attack occurring in a high concentration pore solution is more likely the degradation mechanism for concrete deterioration similar to the full immersion cases of sulfate attack on concrete.

This work was financially supported by the National Science Foundation of P. R. China under contract #50378092, the scholarship from CSC (China Scholarship Council) and the co-funding from Ghent University of Belgium. The research was performed under a Bilateral Cooperation Agreement between Ghent University of Belgium and Central South

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**18** 

*Poland* 

Joanna Jaworska

*Adam Mickiewicz University* 

**Crystallization, Alternation** 

**and Recrystallization of Sulphates** 

Sulphates as well as silicates and carbonates are one of the most common minerals on the Earth's surface. They cover about 25% of continents surface (Blatt et al. 1980; Ford &Williams, 1989). Their recent sedimentary environments are the terrains of: the southern Mediterranean coast – coastal salt lakes of Marocco, Libya, Tunisia and Egypt, Gulf of Kara Bogaz (Caspian Sea), Persian Gulf – coastal sabkhas of UAE (special Abu Dhabi Emirate) and Qatar, Texas and California (Death Valley), salt lakes of South and Central Australia

Annual total world production of gypsum in 2010 exceeded 146 million metric tones

First of all, the sulphates are represented by two kinds of calcium sulphate - gypsum (CaSO4•2H2O) and anhydrite (CaSO4); mainly the first one creates deposits that are of economical value; it is used in the construction industry as bond material and to control the bonding speed, in casting and modelling and also in medicine (surgery and stomatology), during the production of paper. Its properties influence the parameters and quality of materials which it consist in. In construction/building industry the semi-hydrated gypsum is used as a result of frying in temperatures about 160°C (150-190°C) with sufficient amount of added water, the material bonds and hardens – the reaction is exothermic and the gypsum's volume increases of about 1%. Bassanite (CaSO4 ½ H2O), calcium sulphate semi-

Rarely we can find the sulphates of: strontium (celestine), barium (barite), potassium (e.g. polyhalite), sodium (e.g. mirabilite, glauberite), magnesium (e.g. epsomite, kieserite), copper (e.g. brochantite, chalcanthite) and others. Most of gypsum and anhydrite on Earth are of evaporate origin, they are formed in specific order as a result of precipitation of the calcium sulphate inside the gradually drying sea basin (deep or shallow), lake, by the coastal lagoons, bays or sabkhas (indications of hot and arid climate). They are also the products of volcanic exhalations or low temperature hydrothermal processes, as well as of oxidation of sulphide deposits. The sulphates are also found above the salt mirror of diapirs, where they form the secondary deposit as the harder soluble residuum after the salt leaching – they

constitute the main component of so-called gypsum or anhydrite-gypsum cap-rock.

**1. Introduction** 

hydrate, is also known.

and salt lakes, salinas and salares of South America.

(http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/).

