Effect of aluminium alkoxides on the mechanical properties of calcium aluminate cements at high temperatures*

The effect of aluminium alkoxides, Al(OR)₃, (where R is C₂H₅, C₃H₇ or C₄H₉), on the mechanical properties of calcium aluminate refractory cements at temperatures up to 1000°C was investigated. The magnitude of strength improvement obtained by adding alkoxides to the cement pastes depended on three factors: (1) the number of carbons in the alkoxides; (2) the phase of the transitional aluminium compounds sintered by in situ conversion of sol-gel particles of hydrous aluminium hydroxides over the temperature range 300 to 1000°C; and (3) the molecular mass and the amount of alcohol produced by hydrolysis of the alkoxides.