The System MgO‐MgCl2‐H2O at 23°C

Solubilities of MgO in aqueous HC1 solutions at 23°±3°C were measured and combined with analyses of neat magnesium oxychloride cements, cured in sealed containers, to construct an equilibrium phase diagram for the system MgO‐MgCl 2 ‐H 2 O. Specific gravities and acidities of solutions saturated with MgO and relative humidities of vapor phases over sealed samples were measured and combined with XRD data to define the compositions in equilibrium with two crystalline phases. Studies of relative reaction rates indicated that the 5–1–8 phase crystallizes more rapidly than the 3·1·8 phase and that cements near the 3·1·8 composition react rapidly with atmospheric CO 2 to form the chlorocarbonate phase.