Effect of curing time on granulated blast-furnace slag cement mortars carbonation

Currently, ground granulated blast-furnace slag cements use in cement-based materials is being increasing because perform well in marine and other aggressive environments. However, mortars and concretes made of this type of cement exhibit high carbonation rates, particularly in badly cured cement-based materials and when high blast-furnace slag contents are used. Concrete reinforcement remains passive but can be corroded if the pore solution pH drops as a result of the carbonation process promoting the reinforced concrete structure failure during its service life. Results show the very sensitive response to wet-curing time of slag mortars with regard to the natural carbonation resistance. Then, a minimum period of 3–7 days of wet curing is required in order to guarantee the usual projected service life in reinforced concrete structures. In this work, estimation models of carbonation depth and carbon dioxide diffusion coefficient in ground granulated blast-furnace slag mortars as a function of the curing period and the amount of ground granulated blast-furnace slag are proposed. This information will be useful to material and civil engineers in designing cement-based materials and planning the required curing time depending on their ground granulated blast-furnace slag content.     

Efficiency of internal curing by superabsorbent polymers (SAP) in PC-GGBS mortars

This paper evaluates the effect of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) on hydration and microstructure of PC-GGBS mortars. Development of autogenous shrinkage, microstructural characteristics (MIP/SEM) and compressive strength were analysed during the first 90 days. Four levels of Portland cement (PC) replacement by GGBS (0%, 25%, 50% and 75%) and two types of SAP with different water absorption capacities were considered. The results proved the efficiency of internal curing by SAPs in PC-GGBS systems due to significant reduction in autogenous shrinkage, especially for higher contents of GGBS. SAP facilitates GGBS hydration activated by portlandite; its products can be deposited into the nano pores leading to a small relative expansion of the hardened bulk volume. This process is initiated during the second week and it lasts until the sixth week. Despite increased total porosity, compressive strength of SAPs modified mortars is comparable to the reference samples for low GGBS contents in advanced ages.     

The effects of ground granulated blast-furnace slag blending with fly ash and activator content on the workability and strength properties of geopolymer concrete cured at ambient temperature

Inclusion of ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS) with class F fly-ash can have a significant effect on the setting and strength development of geopolymer binders when cured in ambient temperature. This paper evaluates the effect of different proportions of GGBFS and activator content on the workability and strength properties of fly ash based geopolymer concrete. In this study, GGBFS was added as 0%, 10% and 20% of the total binder with variable activator content (40% and 35%) and sodium silicate to sodium hydroxide ratio (1.5–2.5). Significant increase in strength and some decrease in the workability were observed in geopolymer concretes with higher GGBFS and lower sodium silicate to sodium hydroxide ratio in the mixtures. Similar to OPC concrete, development of tensile strength correlated well with the compressive strength of ambient-cured geopolymer concrete. The predictions of tensile strength from compressive strength of ambient-cured geopolymer concrete using the ACI 318 and AS 3600 codes tend to be similar to that for OPC concrete. The predictions are more conservative for heat-cured geopolymer concrete than for ambient-cured geopolymer concrete.     

Interfacial transition zone of cement composites with steel furnace slag aggregates

As previous studies of mortar and concrete with steel furnace slag (SFS) aggregates have shown increases or decreases in the bulk mechanical properties, this study investigated the microstructural cause of these opposing trends through characterization of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) with quantitative image analysis of backscatter electron micrographs. Three SFS types – basic oxygen furnace (BOF), electric arc furnace (EAF), EAF/ladle metallurgy furnace (EAF/LMF) – were examined as aggregates in a portland cement mortar. The ITZ size for all SFS mortar mixtures was similar, with the ITZ of BOF and EAF/LMF being slightly more porous than mortar mixtures with EAF or dolomite. Microstructural examinations of the SFS particle revealed that BOF and EAF/LMF aggregates have different outer and interior compositions, with the outer composition consisting of a porous layer, which likely contributes to the reduced strength relative to EAF. The imaging results demonstrated that the type of SFS and its spatial composition greatly influences the bulk properties of mortar and concrete, mainly as a function of porosity content in the ITZ and the outer layer and interior porosity of the SFS aggregate.     

Improvement of ground granulated blast furnace slag on stabilization/solidification of simulated mercury-doped wastes in chemically bonded phosphate ceramics

This paper investigated the effectiveness of (ground granulated blast furnace slag) GGBFS-added chemically bonded phosphate ceramic (CBPC) matrix on the stabilization/solidification (S/S) of mercury chloride and simulated mercury-bearing light bulbs (SMLB). The results showed that the maximal compressive strength was achieved when 15% and 10% ground GGBFS was added for HgCl(2)-doped and SMLB-doped CBPC matrices, respectively. The S/S performances of GGBFS-added matrices were significantly better than non-additive matrices. As pore size was reduced, the leaching concentration of Hg(2+) from GGBFS-added CBPC matrix could be reduced from 697 microg/L to about 3 microg/L when treating HgCl(2). Meanwhile, the main hydrating product of GGBFS-added matrices was still MgKPO(4).6H(2)O. The improvement of S/S effectiveness was mainly due to physical filling of fine GGBFS particles and microencapsulation of chemical cementing gel.     

Laboratory investigation of carbonated BOF slag used as partial replacement of natural aggregate in cement mortars

Direct mineral carbonation produces a material rich in carbonates and with reduced quantities of free oxides. The aim of this work was to show that such materials can be used in the construction domain. Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) slag from the steelmaking process has been traditionally seen as unfit for bounded applications due to its propensity to swelling, resulting from hydration of its high free lime content. Here, BOF slag was crushed to suitable particle sizes, carbonated in an aqueous solution of carbonic acid, and utilized to replace 50% of natural sand aggregate in cement mortars. The mechanical and chemical properties of these mortars were compared to mortars containing non-carbonated slags, and a standard cement mortar as a reference. Tests were conducted to determine mortar paste consistency and soundness, and cured mortar compressive strength and leaching tendencies. The results showed a satisfactory performance for all considered aspects (comparable with the reference) of the mortar sample containing 37.5 wt% (1.5 in 4 parts solids) carbonated BOF slag of <0.5 mm particle size.     

Proportioning cement based composites with burnt coal cinder

This paper presents an experimental investigation to advance a stepwise procedure to proportion plain and slag concrete mixes with burnt coal cinder waste as coarse aggregate. When typical strength of coarse aggregate in concrete is lower than the concrete strength required, conventional methods such as British Method, ACI and country’s standard code cannot be used directly since failure of concrete is predominantly by aggregate crushing. To analyze the data, concrete, for simplicity, is regarded as two phase composite of cement mortar matrix and coarse aggregate. With the concrete and constituent cement mortar matrix strengths and their respective volume fractions as input parameters, the typical strength of coarse aggregate in concrete is determined from linear law of mixtures. Using again the same law, the cement mortar matrix strength required for higher or at par to that of the typical aggregate strength is calculated. To arrive at water–cement ratio for matrix strength, the Generalized Abrams’ law is employed.     

Effects of deicers on the performance of concrete pavements containing air-cooled blast furnace slag and supplementary cementitious materials

This study investigates the effects of continuous deicer exposure on the performance of pavement concretes. For this purpose, the differences in the compressive strength, the changes in the dynamic modulus of elasticity (DME) and the depth of chloride ingress were evaluated during and after the exposure period. Eight different concrete mixtures containing two types of coarse aggregates (i.e. air-cooled blast furnace slag (ACBFS) and natural dolomite) and four types of binder systems (i.e. plain Type I ordinary portland cement (OPC) and three combinations of OPC with fly ash (FA) and/or slag cement (SC)) were examined. These mixtures were exposed to three types of deicers (i.e. MgCl₂, CaCl₂, and NaCl) combined with two different exposure conditions (i.e. freezing-thawing (FT) and wetting-drying (WD)). In cold climates, these exposure conditions are the primary durability challenges that promote the physical deterioration of concrete pavements. The results indicated that among the studied deicers, CaCl₂ had the most destructive effect on the tested concretes while NaCl was found to promote the deepest level of chloride ingress yet was shown to have the least damaging impact on concretes. The microstructure evaluation revealed that the mechanism of concrete deterioration due to the deicer exposure involved chemical reactions between the deicers and concrete hydration products. The use of FA or SC as partial replacements for OPC can offset the detrimental effects of both deicers and FT/WD cycles.     

The use of EAF dust in cement composites: Assessment of environmental impact

Electric arc filter dust (EAF dust) is a waste by-product which occurs in the production of steel. Instead of being disposed of, it can be used in cement composites for civil engineering, and for balances in washing machines. To estimate the environmental impact of the use of EAF dust in cement composites leachability tests based on diffusion were performed using water and salt water as leaching agents. Compact and ground cement composites, and cement composites with addition of 1.5% of EAF dust by mass were studied. The concentrations of total Cr and Cr(VI) were determined in leachates over a time period of 175 days. At the end of the experiment the concentrations of some other metals were also determined in leachates. The results indicated that Cr in leachates was present almost solely in its hexavalent form. No leaching of Cr(VI) was observed in aqueous leachates from compact cement composites and compact cement composites to which different quantities of EAF dust have been added. In ground cement composites and in ground cement composites with addition of EAF dust, Cr(VI) was leached with water in very low concentrations up to 5 μg L⁻¹. Cr(VI) concentrations were higher in salt water leachates. In compact and ground cement composites with addition of EAF dust Cr(VI) concentrations were 40 and 100 μg L⁻¹, respectively. It was experimentally found that addition of EAF dust had almost no influence on leaching of Cr(VI) from cement composites. Leaching of Cr(VI) originated primarily from cement. Leaching of other metals from composites investigated did not represent an environmental burden. From the physico-mechanical and environmental aspects EAF dust can be used as a component in cement mixtures.     

Effects of chromium(VI) reducing agents in cement on corrosion of reinforcing steel

During the production of cement it is necessary to add a reducing agent that converts soluble hexavalent chromium into trivalent chromium. This paper explores effects of iron(II) sulphate reducing agents, namely monosulphate and heptahydrate, as cement admixtures, on corrosion of concrete reinforcement. Accelerated corrosion tests of reinforcing steel have been performed in pore solutions simulating concrete prepared using either CEM I or CEM II type cement, with addition of various concentrations of iron(II) sulphate reducing agent. All of the test results indicate corresponding tendencies and point towards the potential for iron(II) sulphate to foster or accelerate corrosion of the reinforcement. The results of this study indicate an immediate need for a more detailed research, especially in concrete as a more realistic corrosion environment, of the application of iron(II) sulphate as a reducing agent in cement.     

Fatigue-induced in-situ strength deterioration of micro-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber in cement matrix

For soft fiber and brittle matrix system such as polymeric fiber-reinforced cementitious composites, the fiber strength deterioration dominates the performance of composites subject to fatigue loading. The fatigue-induced in-situ fiber strength deterioration in brittle matrix, however, has rarely been studied. In this paper, fatigue-induced in-situ strength deterioration of micro-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber in cement matrix was experimentally investigated. The effects of fiber embedment, fiber inclination, and fiber surface treatment on the in-situ strength of micro-PVA fibers are reported. The results show that fiber embedment into cement matrix not only reduces the in-situ strength of fiber but also changes the fatigue stress-cycle (S-N) curve and failure mode of fiber. Fiber inclination further decreases the in-situ strength of embedded fiber due to local stress concentration of bent fibers. Oil-treatment on fiber surface can effectively delay fatigue-induced in-situ strength deterioration of micro-PVA fiber.     

Corrosion Evolution of Reinforcing Steel in Concrete under Dry/Wet Cyclic Conditions Contaminated with Chloride

The corrosion evolution of rebar in concrete was monitored by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) under dry/wet alternated accelerated corrosion test.Four stages with different dynamic characteristics were observed during the corrosion evolution.They were passive stage,local corrosion controlled by the charge transfer step,accelerated corrosion controlled by the mass transfer step,and constant rate corrosion controlled by the mass transfer step through a barrier layer.X-ray diffraction(XRD) analysis showed that the corrosion product of rebar in mortar was composed of α-FeOOH,γ-FeOOH and Fe 3 O 4.The corrosion mechanisms of all four stages were discussed and the corrosion reactions were proposed according to the corrosion product and corrosion evolution characteristics.     

Investigation of strength and hydration characteristics in nano-silica incorporated cement paste

A hydration model for Portland cement pastes modified with nano-silica in partial substitution is formulated based on the nucleation growth process from microstructural investigations over time. The model is calibrated against thermogravimetry, X-ray diffraction and calorimetry data for four different substitution rates from 0 to 12 wt% and is validated by backscattered electron microscopy. Finite element based compressive strength predictions using representative volume element analysis of the nano modified cement pastes agreed with the experimental values. The model predictions indicate that a rate of 8 wt% is the optimum replacement level of cement by nano-silica leading to a high density matrix promoting a maximum mechanical strength.     

双基火药储存过程中安定剂含量的快速检测技术

为解决传统检测方法耗时长、操作复杂等问题,研究了近红外光谱法快速定量检测双芳 3双基火药中安定剂含量的可行性。通过分析安定剂的特征光谱区间,得到合适的建模波段。采用不同的光谱预处理方法和选取最佳主因子数优化模型,使用偏最小二乘法建立安定剂的定量校正模型,对模型进行了外部验证。结果表明:使用1 100~ 1 248 nm、1 323~ 1 515 nm波段,采用标准正态变量变化（SNV）预处理原始光谱,主因子数为7时建立的定量校正模型的预测准确性和稳定性较高。校正模型决定系数(R²_C)以及交互验证的决定系数(R²_CV)分别为0.991和0.987;校正标准偏差（R_MSEC）和交互验证的标准偏差（R_MSECV）分别为0.065和0.077。使用预测集样品对建立的最佳校正模型进行外部验证,安定剂含量预测值与参考值的平均误差为0.044%。该方法可用于双芳-3双基火药中安定剂含量的快速检测。维也里试验证明,近红外光谱法可以用于评估双芳-3双基火药安定性的好坏。     

The formation of a SiOx interfacial layer on low-k SiOCH materials fabricated in ULSI application

The characterizations of SiOCH films using oxygen plasma treatment depends linearly on the O₂/CO flow rate ratio. According to the results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses, it was found that the carbon composition decreases with increasing O₂/CO flow rate ratio, because more carbon in the Si–O–C and Si–CH₃ bonds on the film surface would be converted by oxygen radicals. It was believed that the oxygen plasma could oxidize the SiOCH films and form a SiO_x interfacial capping layer without much porosity. Moreover, the result of FTIR analysis revealed that there was no water absorbed on the film. A SiO₂-like capping layer formed at the SiOCH film by the O₂/CO flow rate ratio of 0.75 had nearly the same dielectric properties from the result of capacitance–voltage (C–V) measurement in our research.     

IR spectra of VO2 and V2O3

IR spectra of the tetragonal modification of VO₂ and of the trigonal form of V₂O₃ are recorded at room temperature and compared with that of V₂O₅. The investigated samples of the two lower-valent vanadium oxides, obtained on temperature-programmed reduction treatment, were also characterized with diffuse reflectance and electron-paramagnetic resonance spectra. The effect of atmospheric oxygen on these materials was revealed with XPS measurements and also studied with IR spectra.     

New lignocellulosic fibres-reinforced composite materials: A stepforward in the valorisation of the Posidonia oceanica balls

In this work, new lignocellulosic particles obtained from Posidonia oceanica were studied to reinforce a commercial biodegradable thermoplastic matrix. First, these reinforcing fillers were characterised by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopies. Then, they were used to prepare several composite films using BIOPLAST GF 106 matrix. Different P. oceanica fragment loadings, namely 0%, 10%, 20% and 30% (w/w with respect to the matrix) were investigated. The morphology of the ensuing materials was assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), whereas their thermal and mechanical properties were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and tensile tests. The obtained results showed that P. oceanica-based particles enhanced the thermo-mechanical properties of the thermoplastic matrix.     

Oxygen enhanced crack growth in nickel-based superalloys and materials damage prognosis

This paper summarizes the results from a comprehensive multidisciplinary study to better understand the role of niobium and other strengthening elements in enhancing crack growth by oxygen in nickel-based superalloys at high temperatures, and considers its importance for materials damage prognosis and life cycle engineering in high temperature service. Three γ′ strengthened powder metallurgy (P/M) alloys, with 0, 2.5 and 5 wt pct Nb and comparable volume fractions (about 53 vol pct) of γ′′ precipitates, were specially designed for this study. Coordinated crack growth, microstructural and surface chemistry studies were conducted on the alloys. They were complemented by oxidation studies of Nb, Ni₃Nb, NbC, Ni₃Al and Ni₃Ti, and analyses of fracture surfaces of interrupted crack growth specimens by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The findings taken in toto show that oxygen enhancement of crack growth is the result of the formation of a brittle film of surface oxides along grain boundaries and interfaces ahead of the crack tip by the preferential oxidation of Nb, Ti and Al in the Nb-rich carbides and Ni₃Al, Ni₃Ti and Ni₃Nb (in Inconel 718) precipitates. The results also showed that the oxidation of Nb-rich carbides alone can significantly enhance crack growth in oxygen. The findings are discussed in relation to the previously proposed crack growth mechanisms, and their applications.