Mr Wilson, I will admit that my chemistry is next to non-existent; I have read a LOT about cement recently, and feel I have about as good a working knowledge of cement as anyone who isn't in the industry and doesn't have a cement chemistry background.
I understand the basics in most cases; it's the details that get me, lol.
I know that MMLR can get down to the 7 range for pH. I have only had it happen myself a twice, and I have seen it reported in threads - it isn't common, but it does happen. Usually with that batch of rock that got made and sat around forever outside before it was tested or dealt with (another reason I am interested in air kuring as an alternate). The 8 range however is not uncommon.
I am taking the article at face value until I get it from a cement chemist or good article that
this article is wrong. Nothing against you,
Mr Wilson - I do respect your knowledge and am willing to listen, but I'm from Missouri - Ya gotta 'Show-Me' once I've listened, I then have to explore it myself. Sometimes finding the answers to the more complex questions are hard to find, especially in the cement industry - they often don't
have an answer.
The first sentence states "..naturally high pH calcium hydroxide is replaced with a lower pH calcium carbonate..." and the last sentence says "...Fully carbonated cement paste..."
from what I've read, if it is
fully carbonated, it
is calcium carbonate - there is nothing left to convert, and while there are other things in the paste, they aren't things that effect pH, ALK or anything else that I can find...
I could be mistaken, but that is how I read that and the other articles I've read.
I'm not here to start fights; I simply want to make and help others make the best rock possible.
I am playing "Betty Crocker" because I think there are alternate ways to do pretty much anything, and me and the lab monkeys are proving that rock can be kured in a week or two - something that almost everyone said couldn't be done. Granted I
am beating the cement up pretty fierce to do it, so it will be interesting to see how this rock fares in the long term - but I am willing to accept that this rock might fail from Delayed Ettringite Formation, but I am hoping that the vinegar treatment will open the matrix enough that if Ettringite forms, it will have the room it needs to expand and not crack the rock. But I have never said that Jiffy Rock was the end-all, be-all of rock making, nor even unduly encouraged anyone to try it. I still think the strongest, bestest rock is the "Ol' Skool" rock without any salt. That is my opinion. I do add salt to my mix (the LFS likes the lighter weight) now that a good type has been found, but I
knowit weakens the rock and since I am selling my rock, I have a responsibility to the end-user to sell the best rock I can make - after all, I'm the one who is going to hear all about it from the LFS's if my rock is bad or fails in a few years...
So I add my salt at the end of the mixing process, and will continue my experiments with Jiffy Rock to see if I can get rock that is ready and stable in a week.
And I will try not to frustrated when heads butt.
