Morphology, crystal structure and hydration of calcined and modified anhydrite

The effects of calcination and modification on the morphology (shapes and textures) and crystal structure of anhydrite powders were studied. The results show that, calcination at 100°C causes anhydrite to disintegrate into smaller crystals, accompanied by a slight increase in d-spacing. Without calcination and modification, the solidification time and curing time of anhydrite are 15 and 77 h, respectively. After the treatment, however, the solidification time and curing time are shortened significantly to 9.5 and 14 min, respectively. The compressive and flexural strengths of hydration products made from the treated anhydrite reach 10.2 and 2.0 MPa, respectively. The much shorter solidification and curing time make it possible to use anhydrite as a building and construction material.