Preparation of high silica microporous zeolite SSZ-13 using solid waste silica fume as silica source

Silica fume (SF) is a kind of solid waste that produced in the process of industrial silicon smelting. The disposal of SF for environmental problem is of great urgency. Here, a facile and novel one-step approach of high silica microporous materials SSZ-13 (SF-SSZ-13) were hydrothermally synthesized using silica fume (SF) as silica source. This method requires significantly shorter reaction times (48?h) compared to conventional SSZ-13. The as-synthesized SF-SSZ-13 exhibited high purity structure, popcorn-like morphology, and a large BET surface area of 545.74?m²?g^?1. Additionally, on the basis of controlled growth under different hydrothermal times, the formation mechanism of the SF-SSZ-13 outlined for further extension to other materials. The results on time- and energy-efficient of SF-based preparation of SSZ-13 pave the way for the reducing the cost of production of raw materials and decreasing environment load of solid waste, and also extend the application of silica fume.     

Combined effect of silica fume and steel fibers on the impact resistance and mechanical properties of concrete

This study investigated the impact resistance and mechanical properties of steel fiber-reinforced concrete with water–cement ratios of 0.46 and 0.36, with and without the addition of silica fume. Hooked steel fibers with 60-mm length and an aspect ratio of 80, with three volume fractions of 0%, 0.5%, and 1% were used as the reinforcing material. In pre-determined mixtures, silica fume is used as a cement replacement material at 8% weight of cement. The experimental results show that incorporation steel fibers improve the strength performance of concrete, particularly the splitting tensile and the flexural strengths. A remarkable improvement was observed in impact resistance of the fibrous concretes, as compared with the reference materials. The results demonstrate that when steel fiber is introduced into the specimens including silica fume, the impact resistance and the ductility of the resulting concrete are considerably increased.     

Development of the geopolymer-based zeolite from powdery silica fume and its application in methanol to dimethyl ether

A large number of non-biodegradable powdery silica fume waste produced in industry increase the severity of environmental problems due to their potential harmfulness. The synthesis of geopolymers or zeolitic materials using powdery silica fume as silicon source has become an attractive sustainable solution to remedy this crisis. In this paper, a cost-effective porous ferrierite was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal strategy using silica fume-based geopolymer as precursor and applied to methyl dimethyl ether reaction (MTD). The specific surface area of geopolymer increased from 30.5 to 258.4 m²/g of ferrierite, and the methanol conversion rate correspondingly improved from 16.04 % to 78.5 %. Moreover, rare earth (RE) metal ions were introduced to optimize the performance, and the maximum conversions of RE-modified ferrierite were higher than 90 %. The superior catalytic performance of RE-modified ferrierite was related to the synergy of abundant porosity, acidic active sites and metal functions, which could be realized by regulating the crystallization degrees and ion exchange concentrations. Moreover, the abundant active amorphous silica in silica fume is conducive to the preparation of eco-friendly geopolymers and the further development of zeolite materials, realizing the high value-added utilization of solid wastes.     

A model predicting carbonation depth of concrete containing silica fume

Silica fume (SF) has been used since long as a mineral admixture to improve durability and produce high strength and high performance concrete. Due to the pozzolanic reaction between calcium hydroxide and silica fume, compared with ordinary Portland cement, the carbonation of concrete containing silica fume is much more complex. In this paper, based on a multi-component concept, a numerical model is built which can predict the carbonation of concrete containing silica fume. The proposed model starts with the mix proportions of concrete and considers both Portland cement hydration reaction and pozzolanic reaction. The amount of hydration products which are susceptible to carbonate, such as calcium hydroxide (CH) and calcium silicate hydrate (CSH), as well as porosity can be obtained as associated results of the proposed model during the hydration period. The influence of water-binder ratio and silica fume content on carbonation is considered. The predicted results agree well with experimental results.     

Effects of silica fume on the geotechnical properties of fine-grained soils exposed to freeze and thaw

Both the landfill liner and cover systems are the most important parts on a waste disposal landfill site. These systems are generally constructed using compacted fine-grained soils. It is known that the strength and permeability are particularly affected by freezing and thawing cycles in the cold regions. The aim of this study is to reduce the effects of freezing and thawing cycles on the strength and permeability. To modify the fine-grained soils, silica fume generated during silicon metal production as very fine dust of silica from a blast furnace and historically considered a waste product has been used as a stabilizer. The natural fine-grained soils and soil–silica fume mixtures have been compacted at the optimum moisture content and subjected to the laboratory tests. The test results show that the stabilized fine-grained soil samples containing silica fume exhibit high resistance to the freezing and thawing effects as compared to natural fine-grained soil samples. The silica fume decreases the effects of freezing and thawing cycles on the unconfined compressive strength and permeability. We have concluded that silica fume can be successfully used to reduce the effects of freezing and thawing cycles on the strength and permeability in landfill liner and cover systems constructed from compacted fine-grained soils.     

The influence of metakaolin and silica fume on the chemistry of alkali–silica reaction products

This investigation studies the influence of two mineral admixtures, silica fume (SF) and high-reactivity metakaolin (HRM), on the chemistry of alkali–silica reaction (ASR) products. Four different mortar bar mixes containing different combinations of high-alkali cement, alkali–inert dolomitic limestone, reactive Beltane opal, HRM, and SF were prepared and stored in a 1 N NaOH solution at 80°C (ASTM C 1260) for 21 days. Expansion of bar specimens was measured, and chemical analysis was performed at different ages using X-ray spectra and maps. Test results confirmed that HRM and SF significantly reduce expansion due to ASR. In addition, X-ray microanalysis showed that calcium content increases with time in ASR products. Furthermore, it was found that as ASR proceeded the calcium content of reaction products increased proportionally as the silica content decreased.     

Effects of different curing regimes on the compressive strength properties of self compacting concrete incorporating fly ash and silica fume

This paper presents the effect of air curing, water curing and steam curing on the compressive strength of Self Compacting Concrete (SCC). For experimental study, SCC is produced with using silica fume (SF) instead of cement by weight, by the ratios of 5%, 10% and 15%, and fly ash (FA) with the ratios of 25%, 40% and 55%. It is observed that mineral admixtures have positive effects on the self settlement properties. The highest compressive strength was observed in the concrete specimens with using 15% SF and for 28 days water curing. Air curing caused compressive strength losses in all groups. Relative strengths of concretes with mineral admixtures were determined higher than concretes without admixtures at steam curing conditions.     

Prediction of long-term chloride diffusion in silica fume concrete in a marine environment

Chloride-induced corrosion is the main factor in determining the durability and service life of the reinforced concrete structures exposed to marine environments. Recognition of chloride diffusion phenomenon in concrete and developing a prediction model that can estimate the service life of the concrete structures subject to long-term exposure is vital for aggressive marine environments. The present study focuses on developing such a prediction model of chloride diffusion coefficient for silica fume concrete under long-term exposure to a durability site located in the southern region of Iran. All investigations are based on 16 concrete mix designs containing silica fume with variable water-to-binder ratios exposed to sea water for maximum period of 60 months. This empirical model is developed by applying regression analysis based on Fick’s second law on the experimental results and is compared with previous studies in this area. This comparison indicates that the predicted chloride diffusion coefficient level is within a ±25% error margin in the specimens. The results indicate that reducing the water-to-binder ratio and adding the silica fume to a dosage of 10% reduces the chloride diffusion coefficient in concrete. This study also confirms that the chloride diffusion coefficient increases with temperature and decreases over time.     

Property investigation of individual phases in cementitious composites containing silica fume and fly ash

In this study, nanoindentation was used to investigate the microstructures of cementitious composites containing silica fume and fly ash. With the help of scanning electron microscope, the mechanical properties (elastic modulus and hardness) of individual phases (like outer product, inner product, calcium hydroxide, remained fly ash particles, residual cement grains) in cementitious composites containing silica fume and fly ash were investigated and analyzed. Additionally, this study examined the differences between the ‘C–S–H’ phases in the different cementitious composites and provided an insight into the influence of mineral admixtures (silica fume and fly ash) on the properties of the ‘C–S–H’ phase.     

Effect of aggregates on the diffusion properties and microstructure of cement with slurried silica fume based materials

Diffusivity of cement-based materials is an important factor regarding durability and the service life prediction of concrete structures. The present research focuses on investigating the influence of aggregates on tritiated water diffusivity of cement-based materials containing slurried silica fume. Effective diffusion coefficients of mortars with several sand volume fractions varying from 0 to 65% were determined by through-out diffusion tests. Microstructure was examined by scanning electron microscopy associated to energy dispersive spectrometry analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, water and mercury porosimetry, and BET adsorption analysis. It was found that large agglomerated particles of silica fume observed in cement paste and mortar with a low sand content (here 10%), reduce pozzolanic reactivity and thus affect the effectiveness of silica fume on the materials sustainability parameters. The clusters present in these formulations are mainly due to the interaction of silica fume with calcium hydroxide of the mixing solution and not to the initial state of the slurry, which was well stirred and whose particles size were checked before use. However, the presence of high content of aggregates (more than 30% of sand volume fraction) during mortar's mixing improves the dispersion of slurried silica fume particles and helps to ‘shear’ and break up agglomerates of silica fume providing a better homogenization of the material and improving the microstructural and diffusivity parameters. The addition of superplastizer in mortars with more than 50% sand content may also participate in dispersing silica fume.     

Rheological behaviour of ultra-high performance cementitious composites containing high amounts of silica fume

This study investigates the rheological behaviour of ultra-high performance cementitious composite mortars containing 15–25 % of silica fume. The utilization of two Portland cements with different mineralogical compositions and their influence on yield stress of mortar was monitored. The coaxial rheometer was used for determination of flow curves of tested samples. It was found that besides the relation between flow and water-to-binder ratio, there is also a substantial relationship with the mortar composition, in particular with the content of silica fume. The yield stress can be described by an exponential function of volume content of solids in the mortar. Such a function can describe not only the influence of granulometry but also the impact of structure formation on early age Portland cement hydration. It was found that the estimation of yield stress can be done even by a simple modular in-field technique such as a spread flow test.     

Investigation into the synergistic effects in ternary cementitious systems containing portland cement, fly ash and silica fume

This research was primarily conducted to verify the presence of synergistic effects in ternary cementitious systems containing portland cement (OPC), class C fly ash (FA) and silica fume (SF). A subsequent objective of the study was to quantify the magnitude of the synergy and to determine its source. For a ternary mixture containing 20% FA and 5% SF by mass, the synergistic effect was observed mostly at later ages (7 days onward) and it resulted in an increased compressive strength and resistance to chloride ion penetration as well as a reduced rate of water absorption (sorptivity) compared to predictions based on individual effects of FA and SF in respective binary systems. The observed synergy was attributed to both chemical and physical effects. The chemical effect manifested itself in the form of an increased amount of hydration products. The physical effect associated with packing density was, somewhat contrary to general belief, not due to an optimized particle size distribution of the binder components of the ternary cementitious system. Instead, it was the result of smaller initial inter-particle spacing caused by lower specific gravities of both FA and SF which, in turn, led to a lower volumetric w/cm. If the mixture design was adjusted to account for these differences, the physical effect would be diminished.     

微波辐射制备吸油烟复合材料及其吸附油烟性能

用微波辐射的方法制备吸油烟无纺布复合材料,讨论了微波辐照时间、合成温度、单体配比和交联剂用量对吸油烟复合材料的吸油烟性能的影响。研究结果表明,当采用微波辐照时间15min、合成反应温度为85℃、100份质量的单体(m(DMA)∶m(EHMA)=7∶3)、0.5份质量的交联剂EGDMA和5份质量的引发剂BPO,在此条件下制得吸油烟复合材料的吸油烟率最佳。与常规制备方法相比,微波辐射制备吸油烟复合材料的反应时间可由6h缩短至15min,而且其吸油烟性能也有明显的提高。     

Compressive strength and microstructure of fly ash based geopolymer blended with silica fume under thermal cycle

This work aims to reveal the effects of silica fume on properties of fly ash based geopolymer under thermal cycles. Geopolymer specimens were prepared by alkali activation of fly ash, which was partially replaced by silica fume at levels ranging from 0% to 30% with an interval of 10%, by mass. Microstructure, residual strength and mass loss of fly ash based geopolymer blended with silica fume before and after exposed to 7, 28 and 56 heat-cooling thermal cycles at different target temperatures of 200 °C, 400 °C and 800 °C were assessed and compared. The experimental results reveal that silica fume addition enhances strength development in geopolymer. Under thermal cycles, the compressive strength of geopolymer decreases, and the compressive strength loss, as well as the mass loss, increases with increasing target temperature. The strength loss is the same regardless of silica fume content after thermal cycles. Microstructure analysis uncovers that pore structure of geopolymer degrades after thermal cycles. The pores of geopolymer are refined by the addition of silica fume. The incorporation of silica fume optimizes the microstructure and improves the thermal resistance of geopolymer. Silica fume increases the strength of the geopolymer and even though the strength loss is the same, the strength after heat cycle exposure is still good.     

Compressive strength and chloride resistance of self-compacting concrete containing high level fly ash and silica fume

The influence of high-calcium fly ash and silica fume as a binary and ternary blended cement on compressive strength and chloride resistance of self-compacting concrete (SCC) were investigated in this study. High-calcium fly ash (40–70%) and silica fume (0–10%) were used to replace part of cement at 50, 60 and 70 wt.%. Compressive strength, density, volume of permeable pore space (voids) and water absorption of SCC were investigated. The total charge passed in coulombs was assessed in order to determine chloride resistance of SCC. The results show that binary blended cement with high level fly ash generally reduced the compressive strength of SCC at all test ages (3, 7, 28 and 90 days). However, ternary blended cement with fly ash and silica fume gained higher compressive strength after 7 days when compared to binary blended fly ash cement at the same replacement level. The compressive strength more than 60 MPa (high strength concrete) can be obtained when using high-calcium fly ash and silica fume as ternary blended cement. Fly ash decreased the charge passed of SCC and tends to decrease with increasing fly ash content, although the volume of permeable pore space (voids) and water absorption of SCC were increased. In addition when compared to binary blended cement at the same replacement level, the charge passed of SCC that containing ternary blended cement was lower than binary blended cement with fly ash only. This indicated that fly ash and silica fume can improve chloride resistance of SCC at high volume content of Portland cement replacement.     

碳酸钙晶须与硅灰的复合效应对水泥砂浆力学性能的影响

研究了水泥砂浆的抗压强度、抗折强度以及劈裂抗拉强度在固定硅灰掺量的条件下随着碳酸钙晶须掺量的变化关系,并以试验结果和微观形貌观察为基础探讨了碳酸钙晶须对水泥砂浆的增强增韧机理。     

Pore structure and chloride ion permeability of mortars containing silica fume

The addition of silica fume in concrete causes a remarkable increase in strength and a drastic reduction in chloride ion permeability. These effects may be due primarily to microstructural changes both in the cement paste phase and in the interfacial zone around aggregates. The standard method of test for rapid determination of the chloride permeability of concrete, AASHTO T 277–831, has increasingly been used to evaluate the permeability of concrete. However, for the concrete containing silica fume, the results of the AASHTO T 277–831 test, which is expressed in terms of electrical charge passed, do not necessarily reflect the real diffusion index of chloride ion through the concrete. There seems to be factors other than the pore structure which govern the results of the AASHTO T 277–831 test in the concrete containing silica fume. In this study, the effects of silica fume to reduce the chloride ion permeability of the mortar were investigated based on the results of pore size distribution measurements, X-ray diffraction analysis, SEM observations and pore solution extraction. The application of the AASHTO T 277–831 test to the evaluation of the chloride ion permeability of the concrete containing silica fume was discussed.     

Effectiveness of amorphous silica encapsulation technology on welding fume particles and its impact on mechanical properties of welds

Stainless steel welding generates nano-sized fume particles containing toxic metals which may cause serious health effects upon inhalation. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an amorphous silica encapsulation (ASE) technology by evaluating its silica coating efficiency (SCE), particle morphology, and its impact on the weld’s mechanical properties. Tetramethylsilane (TMS) added to the welding shielding gas decomposed at the high-temperature arc zone to enable the silica coating. Collected welding fume particles were digested by two acid mixtures with different degrees of silica solubility, and the measured mass differences in the digests were used to determine the SCE. The SCEs were around 48–64% at the low and medium primary shielding gas flow rates. The highest SCE of 76% occurred at the high shielding gas flow rate (30 Lpm) with a TMS carrier gas flow of 0.64 Lpm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images confirmed the amorphous silica layer on the welding fume particles at most gas flow rates, as well as abundant stand-alone silica particles formed at the high gas flow rate. Metallography showed that welds from the baseline and from the ASE technology were similar except for a tiny crack found in one particular weld made with the ASE technology. Tensile tests showed no statistical difference between the baseline and the ASE welds. All the above test results confirm that welding equipment retrofitted with the ASE technology has the potential to effectively address the toxicity problem of welding fume particles without affecting the mechanical properties of the welds.     

Air-void structure,strength, and permeability of wet-mix shotcrete before and after shotcreting operation: The influences of silica fume and air-entraining agent

It is well known that the air-void structure of hardened concrete has substantial effects on the mechanical properties and durability of concrete. In this study, laboratory evaluations were conducted to quantify the effects of air-entraining agent (AEA) and silica fume on the air-void characteristics of wet-mix shotcrete (WMS) before and after shotcreting process. For this purpose, a high-resolution image analyzer capturing elaborate graphical layouts of air-void structure using the linear transverse method was employed. Also, this study examined the effects of air-void characteristics, such as air content and spacing factor, on the strength and permeability of WMS. Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that: (1) shotcreting process considerably reduces overall air contents in WMS; (2) incorporating AEA with a 4.5% silica fume replacement ensures both satisfactory spacing factor and good retention of small entrained air bubbles even after shotcreting, which may improve the freeze-thaw and scaling resistance; (3) the compressive and flexural strengths of WMS were reduced as the air content increased and average spacing factor decreased; and (4) the air content affected the permeability of WMS, but no consistent correlation was found between spacing factor and permeability.     

Microanalysis and optimization-based estimation of C-S-H contents of cementitious systems containing fly ash and silica fume

In this study, a new approach to characterize hardened pastes of pure portland cement as well as those containing cement with supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) was adopted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectra (EDS) microanalyses. The volume stoichiometry of the hydration reactions was used to estimate the quantities of the primary and secondary calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) and the calcium hydroxide produced by these reactions. The 3D plots of Si/Ca, Al/Ca and S/Ca atom ratios given by the microanalyses were compared with the estimated quantities of C-S-H to successfully determine the Ca/Si ratio of eleven different cementitious systems at four different ages using a constrained nonlinear least squares optimization formulation by General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS). The estimated mass fraction of calcium hydroxide from the above method agreed well with the calcium hydroxide content determined from the thermogravimetric analyses (TGA).