Examining the pozzolanicity of supplementary cementitious materials using isothermal calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis

It has recently been proposed that the pozzolanicity of supplementary cementitious materials can be determined by monitoring the heat released when supplementary cementitious materials are mixed with calcium hydroxide at high temperature and high pH. In this study, the heat release is measured using this procedure for a variety of different supplementary cementitious materials. In addition, thermogravimetric analysis is performed on the reacted material to determine the amount of calcium hydroxide consumed. The heat release and calcium hydroxide consumption can be used in conjunction to compare supplementary cementitious materials. Calcium hydroxide consumption can be used to determine the extent of reaction of supplementary cementitious materials in pastes where supplementary cementitious materials are used to replace a portion of cement.     

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).     

Understanding the growth of amorphous SiO2 nanofibers and crystalline binary nanoparticles produced by laser ablation

The pulsed-laser evaporation synthesis of silica nanofibers and crystalline binary nanoparticles is investigated in detail. By careful adjustment of the synthesis parameters one can tailor the product to form high yield nanofibers or binary nanoparticles. Some control on their diameters is also possible through the synthesis parameters. Oxidation of the nanofibers occurs upon exposure to air after the reaction.     

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.     

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.     

Differential scanning calorimetry study of ordinary Portland cement paste containing metakaolin and theoretical approach of metakaolin activity

This paper aims to investigate the hydration and pozzolanic reactions in cement pastes with different levels of metakaolin replacement, using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and theoretical analysis based on reaction stoichiometry. It was found that the DSC technique could follow the hydration process quantitatively by measuring the peak temperature and enthalpy corresponding to decomposition of hydration products, as functions of age. The pozzolanic process can also be followed from the measurements of the changes in the amount and the nature of amorphous material in the paste and the change of the amount of calcium hydroxide. In addition, it was confirmed that a theoretical approach using reaction stoichiometry could give a good estimation of the concentration of calcium hydroxide in a metakaolin concrete.     

Low toxicity of HfO2, SiO2, Al2O3 and CeO2 nanoparticles to the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Increasing use of nanomaterials necessitates an improved understanding of their potential impact on environment health. This study evaluated the cytotoxicity of nanosized HfO₂, SiO₂, Al₂O₃ and CeO₂ towards the eukaryotic model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and characterized their state of dispersion in bioassay medium. Nanotoxicity was assessed by monitoring oxygen consumption in batch cultures and by analysis of cell membrane integrity.CeO₂, Al₂O₃, and HfO₂ nanoparticles were highly unstable in yeast medium and formed micron-sized, settleable agglomerates. A non-toxic polyacrylate dispersant (Dispex A40) was used to improve nanoparticle stability and determine the impact of enhanced dispersion on toxicity. None of the NPs tested without dispersant inhibited O₂ uptake by yeast at concentrations as high as 1000 mg/L. Dispersant supplementation only enhanced the toxicity of CeO₂ (47% at 1000 mg/L). Dispersed SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ (1000 mg/L) caused cell membrane damage, whereas dispersed HfO₂ and CeO₂ did not cause significant disruption of membrane integrity at the same concentration. These results suggest that the O₂ uptake inhibition observed with dispersed CeO₂ NPs was not due to reduced cell viability. This is the first study evaluating toxicity of nanoscale HfO₂, SiO₂, Al₂O₃ and CeO₂ to S. cerevisiae. Overall the results obtained demonstrate that these nanomaterials display low or no toxicity to yeast.     

Effect of water quenching and SiO2 addition during vitrification of fly ash Part 1: on the crystalline characteristics of slags

The objective of this study is to investigate how cooling rate and basicity in a vitrification process govern the crystalline characteristics of slags. In this experiment, the incineration fly ash mixtures with various SiO2 addition ratios were vitrified at 1450 degrees C and cooled down separately by air or water. Different thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis with an internal standard addition were applied to investigate the crystalline characteristics of slags. The microanalytical mapping images showed that water quenching and the addition of SiO2, both enhanced the glassy amorphous phase to distribute more uniformly in slags. Addition of SiO2 would lower the melting temperature of fly ash mixtures and retard the formation of crystalline phases in slags. When the basicity (mass ratio of CaO to SiO2 before vitrification) was >0.990, the profiles of crystalline phases in slags with equal basicity were similar no matter how they were cooled. However, when the basicity <0.674, water quenching greatly enhanced the formation of the glassy amorphous phase in slags. For air cooled slags, an even lower basicity (<0.511) is required to vitrify fly ash well.     

Effects of nano-SiO2 particles on the mechanical and microstructural properties of ultra-high performance cementitious composites

In this research the effects of nano-SiO₂ particles on the mechanical performance, hydration process and microstructure evolution of ultra-high performance cementitious composites were investigated by different methods. The results showed that the compressive and flexural strength increased with the increase of the nano-SiO₂ content up to 3% and due to agglomeration of nano-SiO₂ particles, the mechanical properties decreased slightly when the nano-SiO₂ content was more than 3%. The hydration process was accelerated by the addition of nano-SiO₂. The porosity and the average pore diameter decreased with the increase of the nano-SiO₂ content and aging. The microstructure was more homogenous and dense for nano-SiO₂ specimens as compared to the control specimen. All of these improvements could be mainly attributed to the pozzolanic and filler effects of nano-SiO₂.     

Application of microwave-assisted extraction to the analysis of PCBs and CBzs in fly ash from municipal solid waste incinerators

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorobenzenes (CBzs) are two classes of dioxin precursors formed in municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) producing negative health effects similar to those of dioxins. Reducing the analytical time required for determining the concentrations of these compounds in MSWIs is important for quickly evaluating their importance and associated health risks. In the present study, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) is compared with traditional Soxhlet extraction (SE) to determine the extraction efficiencies attained for PCB and CBz analysis. The efficiencies of MAE are compared with those of SE under various experimental conditions, using fly ash spiked with standards. Water is used as a safe and environmentally friendly solvent in MAE for PCB and CBz analyses and MAE has high extraction efficiency for spiked fly ash compared with that of SE. Furthermore, the extraction time and organic solvent consumption are reduced with MAE compared with SE. The optimum conditions for MAE established in this study are using a 30-ml volume of toluene/acetone (1/1) or a 15-ml volume of toluene, samples with less than 60% water content (WC), and an irradiation time of 15 min.     

PET/SiO2纳米复合材料的结晶和形貌研究

利用X射线衍射仪、DSC和扫描电子显微镜研究了纳米SiO2不同含量的PET/SiO2复合材料在恒温条件下的结晶度、熔化温度和晶体形貌。结果发现,SiO2纳米粒子含量对复合材料的结晶速度有很大影响;球晶尺寸与SiO2纳米粒子添加量密切相关。     

Enhancing the grafting of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) on silica nanoparticles (SiO2-g-PHEMA) by the sequential UV-induced graft polymerization with a multiple-UV irradiation

Grafting of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) on silica nanoparticles was accomplished via the sequential UV-induced graft polymerization. Under UV-irradiation, the silica was functionalized with the surface initiator, benzophenone (BP) and subsequently graft-polymerized with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). The grafting on the silica particles was confirmed by DSC analysis which revealed a shift of the glass transition temperature (T_g) of grafted PHEMA to higher temperature than T_g of ungrafted PHEMA. A significant improvement in the grafting efficiency and the grafting percentage was achieved when a sequential grafting approach was taken, employing multiple UV exposures. Using this approach, the efficient chain extension from the grafted-PHEMA was possible without producing significant amounts of ungrafted PHEMA when low HEMA concentrations were used during each UV-exposure.     

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.     

Measurement and Modeling of the Bidirectional Reflectance of SiO2 Coated Si Surfaces

An understanding of the variation of directional radiative properties of rough surfaces with dielectric coatings is important for temperature measurements and heat transfer analysis in many industrial processes. An experimental study has been conducted to investigate the effect of coating thickness on the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of rough silicon surfaces.Silicon dioxide films with thicknesses of 107.2, 216.5, and 324.6 nm were deposited using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition onto the rough side of two Si wafers. The wafer surfaces exhibit distinct anisotropic characteristics as a result of chemical etching during the manufacturing process. A laser scatterometer measures the BRDF at a wavelength of 635 nm, after improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio. The slope distribution function obtained from the measured BRDF of uncoated Si surfaces was used in an analytical model based on geometric optics for rough surface scattering and thin-film optics for microfacet reflectance. The predicted BRDFs are in reasonable agreement with experimental results for a large range of coating thicknesses. The limitations of the geometric optics for modeling the BRDF of coated anisotropic rough surfaces in the specular direction are demonstrated. The results may benefit future radiative transfer analysis involving complicated surface microstructures with thin-film coatings.     

Ternary blending of cement with fly ash microsphere and condensed silica fume to improve the performance of mortar

The addition of condensed silica fume (CSF) to fill into the voids between cement grains would release the water entrapped there to form water films for lubrication. However, the large surface area of CSF would thin down the water film thickness (WFT). By adding also a cementitious material that is finer than cement but not as fine as CSF, such as fly ash microsphere (FAM), the water entrapped in the voids could be released without excessively increasing the surface area. This may produce a larger WFT and better flowability than adding CSF alone. In this research, ternary blending of cement with FAM and CSF was studied by testing mortar mixes with different amounts of FAM and CSF added. It was found that the WFT is the key factor governing the properties of mortar and that ternary blending of cement with both FAM and CSF does offer some advantages.     

SiO2层上沉积的纳米多晶硅薄膜及其特性

采用低压化学气相沉积(LPCVD)系统以高纯SiH4为气源,在p型10.16 cm<100>晶向单晶硅衬底SiO2层上制备纳米多晶硅薄膜,薄膜沉积温度为620℃,沉积薄膜厚度分别为30 nm、63 nm和98 nm.对不同薄膜厚度的纳米多晶硅薄膜分别在700℃、800℃和900℃下进行高温真空退火.通过X射线衍射(XRD)、Raman光谱、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和原子力显微镜(AFM)对SiO2层上沉积的纳米多晶硅薄膜进行特性测试和表征,随着薄膜厚度的增加,沉积态薄膜结晶显著增强,择优取向为<111>晶向.通过HP4145B型半导体参数分析仪对沉积态掺硼纳米多晶硅薄膜电阻I-V特性测试发现,随着薄膜厚度的增加,薄膜电阻率减小,载流子迁移率增大.     

Influence of a fine glass powder on the durability characteristics of concrete and its comparison to fly ash

A detailed investigation carried out to ascertain the durability characteristics of fine glass powder modified concretes is reported in this paper. Tests were designed to facilitate comparisons between concretes modified with either glass powder or fly ash at the same cement replacement level. The optimal replacement level of cement by glass powder is determined from strength and hydration tests as 10%. The later age compressive strengths of glass powder and fly ash modified concretes are seen to differ by only 5%. The durability characteristics are ascertained using tests for rapid chloride permeability, alkali–silica reactivity, and moisture transport parameters. The chloride penetrability values indicate some amount of pore refinement. The potential of glass powder to reduce the expansion due to alkali–silica reaction is established from tests conducted in accordance with ASTM C 1260, but fly ash is found to perform better at similar replacement levels. Glass powder–fly ash blends that make up a 20% cement replacement level are found to be as efficient as 20% fly ash in reducing expansion. The control concrete is seen to exhibit the lowest overall moisture intake after 14 days of curing, and fly ash concrete the highest, with the glass powder concrete in between. The trend is reversed at later ages, demonstrating that both the replacement materials contribute to improved durability characteristics. The sorptivity and moisture diffusion coefficient values calculated from the moisture intake-time data also demonstrate a similar trend. These studies show that fine glass powder has the potential to improve the durability of concretes.     

Insights into the synthesis optimization of Fe@SiO2 Core-Shell nanostructure as a highly efficient nano-heater for magnetic hyperthermia treatment

Maintaining the intact iron core, protecting the extra iron ion release, and generating biologically sufficient heat, are the critical aspects for magnetic hyperthermia treatment (MHT). Thus, the composition of silica-coated nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) was optimized by applying response surface methodology (RSM) and changing the molar ratio of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and iron(II) sulfate (FeSO₄·7H₂O) as the silica and iron precursors, respectively. The TEOS/FeSO₄·7H₂O molar ratio of 1.67 results in the maximized saturation magnetization (99.3 emu/g) and the crystalline phase of pure iron. In comparison with the previously reported studies, the synthesized core–shell nanostructures demonstrate superior heat production features. As silica coating protects the inner core from oxidation and results in more effective heat-generating seeds, nanostructures with a higher amount of silica precursors, i.e., 10.3 mm, demonstrate an efficient specific absorption rate (SAR). Moreover, the medium and higher TEOS amounts represent acceptable cytocompatibility up to 125 μg/mL and 250 μg/mL, respectively. In vitro hyperthermia evaluation depicts the cancer cell viability reduction indicating the hyperthermia-induced apoptosis. Based on the data mentioned above, we could introduce a potential successful nanoparticle for magnetic hyperthermia treatment.     

单分散SiO2胶体球制备及其胶体晶体组装

运用胶体化学法在乙醇介质中合成SiO2胶体球,将制得的样品在30℃下用双氧水浸泡处理48h.用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、傅立叶红外光谱(FT-TR)、Zeta电位仪和标准氢氧化钠滴定法对其形貌、结构和表面电学性质进行分析.结果表明样品平均粒径为292nm,平均标准偏差小于5%;经双氧水浸泡处理后,SiO2胶体球表面羟基数目增多,在水溶液中的Zeta电位从-55.72mV提高到-63.26mV,表面电荷密度从0.19μC/cm2提高到0.28μC/cm2.通过垂直沉积法,在40℃和60%相对湿度条件下制备出有序性较好、密排结构的SiO2胶体晶体.在SEM下,观察到这种胶体晶体是面心立方(fcc)密排结构,其(111)晶面平行于基底.透射光谱表明,所制备的胶体晶体在(111)方向具有光子晶体的不完全带隙性质.