Preparation of hardened tiles from waste phosphogypsum by a new intermittent pressing hydration

The solid waste phosphogypsum (PG), as the sole-raw material, was processed into hardened tiles with favorable mechanical strength by a novel intermittent pressing hydration process. First, the raw PG with dihydrate gypsum was dehydrated into semi-hydrate gypsum. The dehydrated PG was granulated with water, press-formed, and then immersed in water under intermittent pressing. Using the optimal granulation humidity of 35%, pressing pressure of 20 MPa, pressing frequency of once per 2 min and total times of 24, PG hardened tiles with bending strength of 18.9 MPa was obtained. It was revealed that the dehydrated PG was hydrated into the dense dihydrate gypsum crystals under the action of intermittent pressing, which contributed to the high mechanical strength of the tiles. The hardened tile has the potential to be a new-type wall material and its application may help to solve PG׳s environmental risk.     

Use of natural and thermally activated porphyrite in cement production

The aim of the present study was to investigate the use of porphyrite in the production of Portland cement. Natural and thermally activated porphyrites were used as a clay raw material and an activator, respectively, at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 wt% in order to assess their effects on the cement properties. According to the test results, the compressive strength of the specimens decreased with increasing natural porphyrite content in various curing periods. However, the compressive strength of cement produced with 10 wt% porphyrite (activator) activated at 650 °C for 30 min showed a higher value (56 MPa in TPC-6) than cement without activator (51 MPa in RPC-2). Due to thermal activation, porphyrite activator containing a glass phase possesses an enhanced reactivity during clinker hydration that intensifies the synthesis of hydrosilicates and improves compressive strength accordingly. The X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed an intensive formation of Portland cement minerals such as C₃S, β-C₂S, C₃A and C₄AF. The addition of thermally activated porphyrite has also led to an improvement of the rheological behavior, stability to expansion, increase in setting time and decrease in specific surface area of cement. As prepared cement composites and concretes with improved properties meet the requirements of State Standards 310-86 and 10181-81 for Portland cement and concrete, respectively. The findings in this report indicate that porphyrite can be utilized both as a raw material and an activator in the production of cement.     

A Pursuit–Evasion Differential Game with Slow Pursuers on the Edge Graph of a Simplex. I

Automation and Remote Control - We consider a differential game with several pursuing points and one evading point moving along the 1-skeleton (i.e., the edge graph) of an arbitrary simplex in...     

A combined structure and symmetry classification of the urea series channel inclusion compounds

The honeycomb inclusion compounds formed by the urea series hosts XC(NH₂)₂, X=O, S or Se, with hydrophobic guests, can be classified according to Hermann into 5 possible arrangements of the host molecules. However the space groups and unit cells found in practice vary greatly from those of the ideal host structures, as a result of distortions of the host lattice and/or ordering of the guest molecules in the channels. Nevertheless it is possible to make a correlation among structures of the same Hermann Type through a descent in symmetry, i.e. by constructing the corresponding Bärnighausen family tree, using the space group/maximal subgroup relations from International Tables. Three such trees have constructed to include 31 well-characterised inclusion compounds, with the following summary results: Type 1: 7 structures, 7 occupied and 3 unoccupied nodes, maximum subgroup index 12. Type 3: 17 structures, 7 occupied and 2 unoccupied nodes, maximum index 18. Type 4: 9 structures, 4 nodes, all occupied, maximum index 2. (Type 2 is the enantiomorph of Type 1, and no example of Type 5 is known.) Individual nodes on these trees correspond to a specific space group and unit cell, and may be associated with particular observed physical properties, such as guest disorder, chirality, second harmonic generation or ferroelasticity.     

A non-invasive technique for sorting of alumina-rich iron ores

This paper describes an Infrared (IR) thermography based technique for sorting of iron ores consisting of alumina-rich particles of relatively low thermal absorptivity as compared to iron-rich particles in the ores. The technique primarily consists of selection of iron ores with Fe compositions ranging from 59 to 69 wt.% and alumina (Al₂O₃) from 0.35 to 8.85 wt.%, crushing the ores up to the particle size range around 10 mm. The iron ore fines are uniformly heated using heat source of wavelength ranging from 10⁻² to 10⁻⁶ m for a period of time sufficient to create a difference in infrared emission between the ore particles. The thermal image of the heated ores is captured by IR thermography. The alumina-rich iron ore particles are heated up less as the thermal absorptivity of these ores is less than the ores with high iron content. Thus, the alumina-rich iron ore particles can be identified by observing the temperature profile and/or thermal image of these ores. This technique of ore recognition can be useful in improving the feed quality of iron ore to the blast furnace in iron and steel industries by rejecting the alumina-rich ores through modification in the presently existing processes.     

Processing of refractory materials using various magnesium sources derived from Zinelbulak talc-magnesite

Magnesia(MgO)is widely used in the production of refractory materials due to its high melting point,high thermal shock,and excellent slag resistance.The properties of refractory materials depend upon magnesia sources and processing parameters.In this work,three different magnesium sources,namely,magnesium hydroxide concentrate,magnesium carbonate concentrate,and intermediate flotation concentrate,were obtained from the Zinelbulak talc-magnesite,Uzbekistan,by causticization-hydration and flotation processes,respectively.A series of refractory materials were prepared on the basis of these magnesium sources,and their effects on physico-mechanical properties and microstructures were investigated as a function of sintering temperature,molding pressure,and the particle size of magnesium sources.The experimental results showed that a refractory material obtained from the magnesium hydroxide concentrate at 16000C for 4 h demonstrated favorable parameters due mainly to a higher degree of contact among fine particles.The results obtained from X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy confirmed the presence of periclase and forsterite as the predominant phases in refractory specimens.The prepared refractory materials meet the requirements of the State Standards(Nos.4689-94 and 14832-96)for magnesia and forsterite refractories,respectively.It is,therefore,suggested herein that the use of different magnesium sources derived from the Zinelbulak talc-magnesite will offer the potential to provide economic benefits in the refractory industry.     

Sintering behaviour of a glass obtained from MSWI ash

The sintering behaviour of a glass obtained by Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator (MSWI) bottom ash (WG) was investigated and compared with a Na₂O–MgO–CaO–SiO₂ composition (CG). The sintering activation energy, E_sin, and the energy of viscous flow, E_η, were evaluated by dilatomeric measurements at different heating rates. The formation of crystalline phases was evaluated by Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transition Electron Microscopy (TEM). In CG, the sintering started at ≈10¹³ dPa s viscosity and E_sin (245 kJ/mol) remains constant in the measured range of shrinkage, up to 9%. In WG the densification started at ≈10¹¹ dPa s, E_sin resulted to be 395 kJ/mol up to 5% shrinkage, 420 kJ/mol at 8% and 485 kJ/mol at 10% shrinkage. The sintering rate decreased due to the beginning of the pyroxene formation and the densification stopped in the temperature range 1073–1123 K after formation of 5 ± 3% and 13 ± 3% crystal phase, at 5 and 20 K/min, respectively. Higher densification and improved mechanical properties were obtained by applying the fast heating rate, i.e. 20 K/min.     

Processing of refractory materials using various magnesium sources derived from Zinelbulak talc-magnesite

Magnesia(MgO) is widely used in the production of refractory materials due to its high melting point,high thermal shock,and excellent slag resistance.The properties of refractory materials depend upon magnesia sources and processing parameters.In this work,three different magnesium sources,namely,magnesium hydroxide concentrate,magnesium carbonate concentrate,and intermediate flotation concentrate,were obtained from the Zinelbulak talc-magnesite,Uzbekistan,by causticization-hydration and flotation processes...