Tobermorite


Tobermorite is a calcium silicate hydrate mineral with chemical formula:
Ca5Si6O162·4H2O or
Ca5Si618·5H2O.
Two structural varieties are distinguished: tobermorite-11 Å and tobermorite-14 Å.
Tobermorite occurs in hydrated cement paste and can be found in nature as alteration mineral in metamorphosed limestone and in skarn. It has been reported from the Maqarin Area of north Jordan and in the Crestmore Quarry near Crestmore Heights, Riverside County, California.
Tobermorite was first described in 1880 for an occurrence in Scotland, on the Isle of Mull, around the locality of Tobermory.

Use in Roman concrete

Aluminium substituted tobermorite is understood to be a key ingredient in the longevity of ancient undersea Roman concrete. The volcanic ash that Romans used for construction of sea walls contained phillipsite, and that an interaction with sea water actually caused the crystalline structures in the mortar to expand and strengthen, making that material substantially more durable than modern concrete when exposed to sea water.

Cement chemistry

Tobermorite is often used in thermodynamical calculations to represent the pole of the most evolved calcium silicate hydrate. The value of its Ca/Si or CaO/SiO2 ratio is 0.83. Jennite represents the less evolved pole with a C/S ratio of 1.5.