Significance of Silica Fume in Enhancing the Quality of Concrete Thakur Vipul1, Mandloi Dheeraj2, Khare Deepak3, Gupta Shailesh4 1Department of Civil Engineering, Institute of Engineering and Technology, Devi Ahilya University, Indore, M.P., India 2Department of Applied Science, Institute of Engineering and Technology, Devi Ahilya University, Indore, M.P., India 3Department of Chemistry, L.N.C.T., Indore, M.P., India 4Department of Chemistry, Govt. Polytechnic College, Naogawan, Chattarpur, M.P., India Online published on 8 November, 2017. Abstract In the Refractories world three decades ago, very furnaces during the production of elemental few people were acquainted to silica fume and its silicon or ferro silicon alloys. usage. After a few years, it was used as an After the implementation of environmental laws additive to brick. When added to high Alumina during the mid-1970’s silicon smelters began to brick, mullite was formed in the matrix of the capture and collect the silica fume, instead of brick on firing, giving the brick good volume sending it to the landfill. Thus, the push was stability, strength and chemical resistance. When directed to find uses for it. The early work done in used in basic brick, high hot strengths resulted, at Norway received most of the attention, since it least at 2700oF, which was about the limit of what had shown that Portland cement based concretes could be tested. At the time it was only logical that containing silica fumes had very high strengths silica fume would be used in brick not castables. and low porosities. Since then silica fume usage Brick were used for all critical applications, no and development has continued making it one of one would have considered using castables. In this the world's most valuable and versatile paper we shall discuss the manufacturing, admixtures for concrete and cementitous products. properties of silica fume and its effect on concrete after addition. Today's refractory castables have gone beyond having “brick-like properties” to actually out performing brick in many applications. Silica fume has played a major role in this transformation. Top Keywords Silica, Concrete, High-performance, Smelting, Structures, Strength. Top |