Shear deformations in crystalline alkali-silica reaction products at the molecular scale: anisotropy and role of specific ion effects

T Honorio, MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES, 54, 86 (2021).

DOI: 10.1617/s11527-021-01671-4

Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) products exhibit viscoelastic behavior. Creep of nanolayered adsorbing materials is associated with shear deformations at the molecular scale. Crystalline ASR products are layered silicates with potassium and/or sodium as a charge balance ion in the interlayer space. These products are formed only in small quantities, exhibit long-range disorder, and are often mixed with other phases present in hydrated cement systems. In this context, experimental assessment of these products is a challenge and atomistic simulations arise as a valuable alternative. In this work, the shear response of crystalline ASR products is studied using classical molecular simulations. Understanding shear deformations are important to fully characterize the behavior of ASR products and may constitute a first step towards the comprehension of the viscoelastic behavior of these products. Further, the charge balance cation affects the shear modulus, von Mises yield stress, and residual strain, showing that the chemistry plays a crucial role in the mechanical response of these layered materials.

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