Research progress of ultrafine mineral admixtures in cementitious materials

This paper systematically reviews the mechanisms of performance regulation and research progress of typical ultrafine mineral admixtures in cementitious materials, revealing their technological potential and challenges in the field of green building materials. Studies show that ultrafine mineral admixtures improve matrix performance through particle size optimization and surface activation reconstruction, generating multi-scale physicochemical synergistic effects. Active materials such as ultrafine slag accelerate Ca(OH)₂ consumption to strengthen the interfacial transition zone, while the spherical shape of fly ash microsphere enhances slurry flowability by over 30%. Adding silica fumes significantly shorten the setting times. At a 12% dosage, the initial and final setting times are reduced by nearly 20% and 15%, respectively. However, exceeding 10% dosage leads to performance deterioration due to agglomeration effects. In terms of durability, hybrid systems improve resistance to erosion through pore refinement and chemical chloride solidification. Current research challenges include the conflict between the regional characteristics of raw materials and engineering needs, activity decay caused by agglomeration effects of ultrafine particles, and the lack of theoretical models for multi-component synergistic mechanisms. Future research should focus on developing surface energy regulation and agglomeration suppression technologies, new ultrafine mineral admixtures, multi-dimensional performance regulation, and comprehensive environmental impact assessment methods throughout the lifecycle. This review provides theoretical support for optimizing the performance of ultrafine mineral admixtures and holds significant reference value for promoting waste resource utilization and low-carbon transformation of concrete.