Ca3SiO5
tricalcium silicate · alite, C3S
Tricalcium silicate is a key insulating compound that acts as the primary active ingredient in Portland cement, responsible for the initial setting and strength development of concrete.
About tricalcium silicate
Tricalcium silicate is a complex calcium silicate that serves as a fundamental building block in modern construction materials. As a wide-gap insulating compound, it possesses the structural characteristics necessary for high-performance applications in the built environment. Its thermodynamic profile indicates that it is a stable phase, making it a reliable subject for materials research.
This compound is highly significant due to its central role in the hydration chemistry that allows cement to harden. Its structural complexity and the abundance of reported phases underscore its importance in both industrial manufacturing and fundamental materials science studies.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for tricalcium silicate, aggregated across 4 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting Ca3SiO5.
Applications
Where tricalcium silicate is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about tricalcium silicate, answered from cross-validated data.
What is Ca3SiO5?
Tricalcium silicate is a key insulating compound that acts as the primary active ingredient in Portland cement, responsible for the initial setting and strength development of concrete.
What is Ca3SiO5 used for?
What is the band gap of Ca3SiO5?
Is Ca3SiO5 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is Ca3SiO5 thermodynamically stable?
How many polymorphs of Ca3SiO5 are known?
How is Ca3SiO5 synthesized?
What elements does Ca3SiO5 contain?
Where does the data for Ca3SiO5 come from?
How It Compares
As a primary constituent of Portland cement, this compound stands as a cornerstone of inorganic silicate chemistry. It represents a critical phase in the calcium-silicon-oxygen system, serving as the benchmark for reactivity and strength development in hydraulic binders.
Data sources & attribution
- latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform
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