Enhanced mechanical properties of wood ash and fly ash as supplementary cementitious materials

The incorporation of fly ash (FA) and wood ash (WA) in concrete as supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) was studied. The chemical composition of ordinary Portland cement, FA and WA was determined according to ASTM C-114. SEM and optical microscopy were used for the analysis of concrete. Setting time, compressive strength, water absorption and acid resistance of the concrete with different percentages of SCM ranging from 0 to 60% were evaluated. The results obtained showed that setting time and rate of water absorption increased with the increase in percentage of SCM. After 7 and 28 days, the compressive strength of concrete with 20% FA as SCM was higher than that with substitution with 20% WA. Resistance of concrete against sulphate attack increased with an increase in the percentage of FA. It was found that incorporating more than 20% WA resulted in a decrease in sulphate attack resistance.     

Wettability of waterborne coatings on chemically and thermally modified pine wood

Modification of wood can change its hydrophilic character. Consequently, modified wettability of wood can change its behavior with coating or gluing processes. The authors investigated the wettability of oil-heat-treated and DMDHEU-modified Scots pine wood with some commercial waterborne coatings. The increased hydrophobic character of modified wood was revealed from high advancing contact angles of water. In contrast, exterior waterborne coatings exhibited much better wetting on modified substrates than on unmodified substrates. Good wetting of modified wood by waterborne coatings is an interesting result, opening up possibilities for application of environmentally friendly waterborne surface systems on modified wood.     

Addition of kaolin as potassium sorbent in the combustion of wood fuel - Effects on fly ash properties

The combustion of forest residues and other biomass is often hampered by ash sintering, fouling and corrosion caused by potassium salts. Kaolin has been shown to be an efficient absorbent for different species of potassium. This investigation was carried out with the aim to clarify if the leaching of Al or metals bound in aluminium silicate forms is an obstacle to the utilisation of kaolin as fuel additive and if the resulting ash would react differently with water than a normal wood ash. It was shown that kaolin addition decreases the leaching of K at high pH values, but leaching of Al and all trace elements was generally low at all pH (4, 7 and 13) used. Addition of kaolin during the combustion reduced the initial setting time of ash-water mixtures and the presence of kaolin also stabilised the ash structure. From theses results it can be concluded that kaolin addition seems to be a good way to decrease ash related problems during combustion, without deteriorating the properties of the resulting ash or preventing the use of the ash as mineral nutrient in forestry.     

Effect of wheat straw ash on mechanical properties of autoclaved mortar

This study investigates the effect of wheat straw ash (WSA) on the mechanical strength of autoclaved mortar. The mechanical properties studied include compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths of mortar. Mortar mixes were prepared using natural silica, wadi (local sand), and crushed limestone fine aggregates at a w/c ratio of 0.6. Mortar specimens were exposed to autoclave for 2.5 h at a pressure of 2 MPa. Three percentages of WSA replacement levels (3.6%, 7.3%, and 10.9%) by weight of sand were utilized in the study. The study showed that the replacement of sand by WSA increases the mechanical strength of autoclaved mortar. Mortar specimens containing limestone aggregate with 10.9% WSA replacement level showed an average increase in compressive, tensile, and flexural strength by 87%, 67%, and 71%, respectively, compared to control mortar specimens. Scanning electron micrographs for autoclaved paste specimens containing 7.3% WSA replacement level revealed a more packed structure compared to control paste specimens.     

煤粉炉粉煤灰与循环流化床粉煤灰矿物学性质比较

为了提高粉煤灰的利用率,通过化学成分分析、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)分析、X射线衍射光谱(XRD)分析和核磁共振分析,对煤粉炉和流化床2种粉煤灰的形貌、物相组成和活性进行了表征,研究了2种粉煤灰矿物学性质的差别。试验结果表明:2种粉煤灰在形貌和物相上存在较大的区别。形貌上,煤粉炉粉煤灰中存在大量的玻璃微珠,而流化床粉煤灰由于成灰温度低不存在玻璃微珠;物相上,煤粉炉粉煤灰中存在较大量的结晶类矿物,而流化床粉煤灰多为非晶玻璃态物质。通过核磁共振分析发现煤粉炉粉煤灰中硅氧结构和铝氧结构的聚合度较高,不利于活性组分溶出。     

Effect of nanoclay and ZnO on the physical and chemical properties of wood polymer nanocomposite

Wood polymer composite (WPC) was prepared by using solution blended high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polypropylene, and poly(vinyl chloride) with Phragmites karka wood flour and polyethylene‐co‐glycidyl methacrylate (PE‐co‐GMA). The effect of addition of nanoclay and ZnO on the properties of the composite was examined. The distribution of silicate layers and ZnO nanopowder was studied by X‐ray diffractrometry and transmission electron microscopy. The improvement in miscibility among polymers due to addition of PE‐co‐GMA as compatibilizer was studied by scanning electron microscopy. WPC treated with 3 phr each of clay and ZnO showed an improvement in thermal stability and UV resistance. Mechanical and flame retarding properties were also enhanced after the incorporation of clay/ZnO nanopowder. Both water and water vapor absorption were found to decrease due to inclusion of nanoclay and ZnO in WPC. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Novel color stabilization concepts for decorative surfaces of native dark wood and thermally modified timber

UV and visible light exposure of dark colored wood and thermally modified timber (TMT) is strongly connected with discoloration and photobleaching of the respective wood surfaces. Conventional and nanoscale UV absorbers as well as radical scavengers (HALS), mainly effective for the protection of softwood and bright hardwood, were found to be improper for the light stabilization of dark wood surfaces. In the current work discoloration mechanisms are discussed considering the role of wood extractives and the sensitivity of dark colored wood types to visible light and results are presented which were obtained by applying novel protecting systems for the light stabilization of transparently coated surfaces from dark colored wood types and TMT.     

Effect of wood drying and heat modification on some physical and mechanical properties of radiata pine

To evaluate evolution of physical and mechanical properties due to drying and heat modification, a load of radiata pine wood was selected and properties were measured after each drying process. The results revealed interesting correlations between intrinsic factors and properties; the values of density were highly dispersed after drying or thermal treatment and uncorrelated with other parameters, but the minimum density values were kept constant after heat treatment. Moreover, weight loss (WL) and moisture content (MC) were decreasing proportionally to the treatment intensity, due to wood–water interactions, cell wall changes, and thermal degradation of wood fractions. WL and MC were reasonably correlated with the dimensional stability, improving the dimensional stability after drying treatments, but keeping the same order of anisotropy. Regarding the wood stiffness (modulus of elasticity, MOE), it was unaffected by the drying temperature, and the correlations between MOE and MC or WL appear to be acceptable, and the values of MC or WL did not adversely affect the MOE. However, the modulus of rupture was dropped during the drying process, obtaining three differentiated groups with a decrease in around 59% after thermal modification.     

Effect of open assembly time and equilibrium moisture content on the penetration of polyurethane adhesive into thermally modified wood

The effect of wood moisture content and open assembly time on penetration of polyurethane (PU) adhesive into thermally treated Scots pine (195 and 210°C) was investigated according to effective penetration (EP) and maximum penetration (MP) measurements using fluorescence microscopy. For samples treated at 195°C, a higher EP was noted at 8.6% equilibrium moisture content (EMC) after both assembly times (15 and 30 min) while for samples treated at 210°C, increasing wood moisture content resulted in a significant decrease in EP at 12.5% EMC after 15 min assembly time. Extending open assembly time was found to increase the EP of PU adhesive only in the case of samples treated at 195°C and with 8.6% EMC. For samples treated at both treatment temperatures and after shorter open assembly time, the highest MP was observed at moderate EMC levels of 8.6 and 8.2% and the lowest at the higher EMC levels of 13.2 and 12.5%.     

Comparative study on the effect of manchurian ash and larch wood flour on mechanical property,morphology, and rheology of HDPE/wood flour composites

Effects of wood flour species and polyethylene grafted with maleic anhydride (MA‐PE) on mechanical properties and morphology and torque rheology of high density polyethylene (HDPE)/wood flour composites have been comparatively investigated. The results demonstrated that without compatbilizer, wood flour species exhibited little influence on mechanical properties. In the presence of MA‐PE, the mechanical properties were obviously increased. On the basis of the mechanical property data obtained from wood flour extracted by different methods, the extractant was an important factor affecting the mechanical properties. Manchurian ash and larch wood flours extracted by hot water presented almost the same mechanical properties, and larch wood flour was the most beneficial to enhance the mechanical properties. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the atomic force microscopy (AFM) further confirmed that interfacial adhesion and dispersion of manchurian ash wood flour in composites were effectively improved by MA‐PE. The torque results demonstrated that the chemical reactions of maleic anhydride groups on MA‐PE with hydroxyl on cellulose in wood flour probably took place due to the increase of the equilibrium torque and the appearance of the torque peak, and larch wood flour was more beneficial to prepare the composites containing the higher wood flour content. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Multi-scale evaluation of the effects of nanoclay on the mechanical properties of wood/phenol formaldehyde bondlines

Nanoclay is a natural mineral that has great potential as a reinforcing filler in wood adhesives. In order to investigate the reinforcing mechanism more clearly, the crystalline structure, chemical properties, morphology, and thermal stability of pure PF and organic nanoclay-reinforced phenol formaldehyde (PF-OMMT) adhesive were characterized. The comparative mechanical properties of pure PF adhesive and PF-OMMT in the bondlines of plywood were analyzed by nanoindentation (NI) under different service environments and the shear strain distribution on the interphase was also measured by a digital image correction technique (DIC). X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results indicated good dispersion of the clay in the PF matrix. The modified adhesive showed greater thermal stability than did the control adhesive, as evaluated by thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). The good dispersion of nanoclay and the positive effects of the nanoclay on the adhesive's water and heat resistance may have contributed to the improved mechanical properties of adhesives in an accelerated durability test. Compared to pure PF, the reduced elastic modulus and hardness of PF-OMMT in the bondline increased significantly and the strain distribution was much more uniform, resulting in an observed increase of macro-bonding strength of plywood, especially under conditions of severe cyclic water saturation and drying.     

Mineralogical and elemental composition of fly ash from pilot scale fluidised bed combustion of lignite, bituminous coal, wood chips and their blends

The chemical and mineralogical composition of fly ash samples collected from different parts of a laboratory and a pilot scale CFB facility has been investigated. The fabric filter and the second cyclone of the two facilities were chosen as sampling points. The fuels used were Greek lignite (from the Florina basin), Polish coal and wood chips. Characterization of the fly ash samples was conducted by means of X-ray fluorescence (XRF), inductive coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), particle size distribution (PSD) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). According to the chemical analyses the produced fly ashes are rich in CaO. Moreover, SiO₂ is the dominant oxide in fly ash with Al₂O₃ and Fe₂O₃ found in considerable quantities. Results obtained by XRD showed that the major mineral phase of fly ash is quartz, while other mineral phases that are occurred are maghemite, hematite, periclase, rutile, gehlenite and anhydrite. The ICP-OES analysis showed rather low levels of trace elements, especially for As and Cr, in many of the ashes included in this study compared to coal ash from fluidised bed combustion in general.     

利用活化粉煤灰制备高掺量粉煤灰烧结砖

研究了分别经机械和化学活化后的粉煤灰对高掺量粉煤灰烧结砖性能和显微结构的影响。结果表明:用磨细粉煤灰代替原灰配料,可以改善烧结砖的力学性能,尤其是砖的抗压强度能显著提高。当用掺量质量分数为60%的磨细灰制砖时,烧结砖的抗压强度提高至原灰烧结砖的2倍,并且有更为致密的微结构。在粉煤灰砖中加入质量分数为2%的外加剂D进行化学活化后,可明显改善干坯强度,并提高烧结砖的抗压强度。     

Preparation and dynamic mechanical properties of polyurethane‐modified epoxy composites filled with functionalized fly ash particulates

Fly ash (FA) is a porous ceramic, which has proved to have some favorable functions. In this article, we have prepared a series of fly ash filled composites, where the polyurethane‐(PU) modified epoxy (EP) was acted as the matrix. With the purpose of characterizing the effect of the content of PU in the matrices and the surface‐treatment (ST) of fly ash particulates on the dynamic mechanical properties of composites, Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis (FTIR), microstructure observation, impact property test as well as dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were systematically investigated. With FTIR test, it can be found that the chemical reactions occur, and new chemical structures are formed between EP and PU, and the functionalized groups existing on the surface of fly ash particulates can also be detected. In fractographs observation of composites, it can be seen that the silane coupling agent improves the interfacial bonding conditions between fly ash particulates and the matrix. Impact property test result reveals that PU improves the toughness of EP. Dynamic mechanical analysis of the composites is carried out from ?40 to 150°C using a tension‐compression mode. Results show that the composites, whose matrices are with 10 and 20 wt % PU, may possess better dynamic mechanical properties as compared with the other composites. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

The chemical,kinetic and mechanical characterization of tannin-based adhesives with different crosslinking systems

Network formation, cure characteristics and bonding performance of tannin-based resins were investigated in order to establish structure–property relationships between the stage B and stage C. Tannin–aldehyde and base-catalyzed autocondensed tannin resins were synthesized and characterized for molecular weight distribution, cure kinetics and cure chemistry by means of GPC, DMA and ¹³C CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy and solvent stability tests. The resins performance as wood adhesives was further established from lap-shear tests and microscopic observation of the bondline. Resins prepared with highly reactive aldehydes, such as formaldehyde or glyoxal, exhibited a significant extent of hetero-condensation reactions, fast cure kinetics, a high storage modulus and good solvent stability of the stage C-resin. In contrast, resins prepared with bulky aldehydes of low reactivity, such as citral, were dominated by autocondensation reactions, and exhibited slower cure kinetics, a lower storage modulus and solvent-stability of the stage C-resin, alike those neat autocondensed tannin resins. However, all resin systems fulfilled the standard requirements for wood adhesive bonding for interior applications. Additionally, storage modulus increase during cure was found to be a good predictor of the stiffness of the wood-bonded assembly, useful to discriminate between the autocondensation and heterocondensation cure chemistries.     

Characterization of rheological and thermophysical properties of HDPE–wood composite

The objective of this study is to develop a new biocomposite material with high deformation ability. In this regard, the thermal, rheological, and thermophysical properties of this new composite were characterized as a function of temperature and filler concentration. High density polyethylene (HDPE) was the matrix of this new composite which was reinforced with six sawdust concentrations 0%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, and 60%. Maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene (PE‐g‐MA) was used as coupling agent. Addition of sawdust with PE‐g‐MA increased significantly the complex viscosity, the storage modulus (G′), and loss modulus (G″) of the matrix. The superposition of the complex viscosity curves using temperature dependent shift factor, allowed the construction of a viscosity master curve covering a wide range of temperatures. Arrhenius law was used for the relationship of the shift factor to temperature. Furthermore, method of Van Gurp and Palmen (tan delta vs. G*) is also used to control the time–temperature superposition. The experimental results can be well fitted with the cross rheological model which allowed the prediction of the thermorheological properties of the composites over a broad frequency range. By increasing wood concentration, both the activation energy and relaxation time for the biocomposites determined using, respectively, the Arrhenius law and the cole–cole rule increased. By contrast, specific heat of the matrix decreased with sawdust addition while its dimensional stability improved. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40495.     

化学改性脱硫灰取代部分炭黑制备环保型丁苯橡胶及其性能

用硅烷偶联剂Si69和KH550对脱硫灰进行化学改性,用改性脱硫灰取代部分炭黑与丁苯橡胶复合,制备环保型丁苯橡胶,对其进行了表征,采用均匀设计结合BP神经网络建立模型优化工艺参数. 结果表明,最优制备工艺参数为Si69和KH550用量分别为4.3wt%和3.8wt%、无水乙醇用量22.1wt%、搅拌速度705 r/min、反应温度82℃,该条件下所制环保型丁苯橡胶的力学性能为拉伸强度19.64 MPa、撕裂强度44.96 kN/m、邵氏A硬度66. 实验结果与模型预测值吻合较好,相对误差为3.03%~2.65%.     

高温处理粉煤灰的理化特性研究

为多元化、高附加值利用粉煤灰,以朔州电厂粉煤灰为例,进行了X射线衍射测试、粒度测试和热重分析。结果表明,朔州电厂粉煤灰的w(Al2O3)=41. 09%、w(CaO)=4. 64%,属于高铝低钙型,其平均粒径为108. 1μm;未煅烧的朔州电厂粉煤灰矿物组成为莫来石、石英、石膏;质量损失主要发生在570~750℃和1 100~1 280℃。然后称取未筛选经105℃烘干后的粉煤灰制成Φ40 mm×8. 8 mm的试样,经1 200~1 550℃热处理后,进行劈裂强度试验、XRD分析等。结果表明,随热处理温度升高,试样的强度和密度增大,莫来石含量逐渐增多,1 400℃时性能达到最佳。     

Thermal and mechanical properties of polypropylene–wood powder composites

The preparation and characterization of modified and unmodified polypropylene (PP)–wood powder (WP) composites were done under fixed processing conditions. Different techniques were used to study the effect of both WP size and content, as well as compatibilizer content, on the properties of the composites. The results point to the fact that, WP settles in the amorphous part of the matrix and creates new crystalline phases or zones. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs show a relatively even distribution of WP in the PP matrix, which contributes to improvements observed in the properties of the material. Hg‐porosimetry results indicate that the PP matrix, which has a low pore volume, filled the pores in the WP particles. This reduced the total volume of pores in the PP–WP composites. This observation was also supported by a general decrease in gas permeability of the material. Thermal analysis results indicate that the presence of both WP and maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) leads to an increase in enthalpy (crystallinity) values, but to a decrease in lamellar thickness in the composites. The thermal stability of the composites improves somewhat compared to that of PP. There were distinctive differences between the results for composites containing different WP particle sizes, as well as for composites prepared in the presence and absence of MAPP. It is clear from the results that the presence of MAPP generally improves the tensile properties of the composites. Larger WP particles gave rise to better tensile properties, in the presence and absence of MAPP. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 4173–4180, 2006     

粉煤灰的混酸改性及吸附性能研究

以粉煤灰为原料,用混酸酸溶制取改性粉煤灰吸附剂,并处理生活污水。结果表明：最佳酸溶时间为3h,其固体溶出率约25wt％;当改性粉煤灰的用量为100g／L时,吸附效果最佳,COD的吸附率达到75．4％,出水达到《城市污水处理厂污染物排放标准》（GB18918—2002）中的二级标准限值（100mg／L）;改性后吸附能力提高了近三倍。