Model synthetic pastes for low pH cements

Abstract Model synthetic pastes were designed to obtain a simplified silica system that could be used in durability studies on materials with low calcium-to-silica ratios. The synthetic pastes made use of the well-known pozzolanic reaction between tricalcium silicate (C3S) and nanosilica, covering calcium-to-silica ratios (C/S) from 0.8 to 3.0. The pure C3S paste (C/S = 3.0) contained C-S-H and portlandite, while pastes with C/S