Research status of super sulfate cement

Super sulfate cement (SSC) is a kind of ideal green building material, containing more than 75% industrial solid wastes. The studies on SSC began in 1908. Many researches were done in the last century. The main hydration product of SSC is ettringite and the hydration rate of SSC is lower than that of Portland cement, and SSC has quite low hydration heat released than Portland cement. SSC-based materials have good resistance to sulfate attack due to the specific characteristic of SSC. But, the resistance of SSC concrete to carbonation is not good. SSC-based materials also have their own shortcomings, such as slow hydration hardening, low early strength and sand out, etc. Therefore, the use of SSC is limited. With the increase of requirements for environmental protection, the researches and uses of SSC in concrete continue to grow in this century. The aim of this paper is to review the relevant published paper to explore the present research status about SSC and try to propose the resolving way. The main contents of this paper include the history of SSC, the hydration of SSC, the properties of SSC-based materials, and the calculation about the carbon emission of processing of SSC compared with that of Portland cement. At the end, the further studies on the basis of SSC were recommended. By resolving the existing problem, it is believed that SSC is not only a green material, but also a strong potential cementitious material in the field of concrete industry. • The literature of super sulfate cement (SSC) over half a century was reviewed. • This research introduced the history of SSC, the hydration and properties of SSC-based materials. • The carbon emission of producing SSC was calculated. • SSC can be a green and strong potential cementitious material in concrete industry.