Effect of granulometry on cementitious properties of ladle furnace slag

Ladle furnace slag (LFS), a by-product of the steel making process, was tested for its potential use as a supplementary cementing material. The material used for the tests was screened or ground, producing three samples of different fineness, and the granulometry of these LFS samples was also tested by particle size analysis. Their chemical and mineralogical composition was assessed by chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. Finally, in order to determine the cementitious and pozzolanic character of LFS in relation to its granulometry, slag-lime and slag-cement mortars were produced and tested in compression. The results show that although LFS is a weak supplementary cementing material, it shows some self-cementing and pozzolanic properties that can be enhanced by screening or grinding the raw material. Even though different levels of fineness and granulometry can be reached with each method, generally, grinding seems to improve LFS binding properties more than sieving.     

Aluminium-thiourea inhibitors of mild steel corrosion in high specific salinity water. Compatibility with some reducing agents at various temperatures

Aluminium-thiourea inhibitors were found to provide good inhibition of mild steel in water of a high specific salinity (10,000 ppm Na₂ SO₄) considered characteristic for recirculating water of zero discharge cooling systems in steam plants. In order to enhance effectiveness of these inhibitors, reducing agents such as SnC1₂ or a mixture of SnCl₂ and KI were added, and inhibitive values Of the mixtures obtained were measured using the weight loss method according to NACE standard TM = 01-69 at 20°—40°C. It was found that these inhibitors plus additives markedly improved protection of mild steel under these conditions in steam plants. The effect is considerable up to 30°C but cannot be demonstrated at 40°C. The addition of KI alone is of little benefit.     

UTILIZATION OF ALUMINA RED MUD FOR SYNTHESIS OF INORGANIC POLYMERIC MATERIALS

Red mud is a residue coming from the metallurgical treatment of bauxite with the Bayer process. Million of tons of red mud are produced annually worldwide and disposed of on land, degrading vast areas. Therefore, red mud utilization is a first-priority issue for any alumina plant. In the present work, the potential use of red mud for synthesis of inorganic polymeric materials through geopolymerization process was studied. The main focus was the production of inorganic polymeric materials that could be used in the construction sector as artificial structural elements such as massive bricks. The geopolymerization process involves a chemical reaction between red mud and alkali metal silicate solution under highly alkaline conditions. The product of this reaction is an amorphous to semi-crystalline polymeric structure, which binds the individual particles of red mud transforming the initial granular material to a compact and strong one. The effect of main synthesis parameters—like solid-to-liquid ratio, caustic soda as well as soluble silica concentrations, and metakaolin addition—on the properties of red mud-based inorganic polymeric materials was investigated. The results showed that the produced materials have high compressive strength, very low water absorption, satisfactory apparent density, and excellent fire resistance. Therefore, this work proved that the red mud-based inorganic polymeric materials have promising properties and have the potential to be used as artificial structural elements in the construction sector.     

Optimising context data dissemination and storage in distributed pervasive computing systems

Context management systems are expected to administrate large volumes of spatial and non-spatial information in geographical disperse domains. In particular, when these systems cover wide areas such as cities, countries or even the entire planet, the design of scalable storage, retrieval and propagation mechanisms is paramount. This paper elaborates on mechanisms that address advanced requirements, including support for distributed context databases management; efficient query handling; innovative management of mobile physical objects and optimization strategies for distributed context data dissemination. These mechanisms establish a robust spatially-enhanced distributed context management framework that has already been designed and carefully implemented and thoroughly evaluated.     

Effect of Slurry Rheological Properties on the Coating of Ceramic Honeycombs with Yttria-Stabilized-Zirconia Washcoats

Recently, a novel automotive catalyst design, based on the use of palladium supported on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), was proposed. In the present work, the coating of cordierite honeycomb samples with YSZ slurries for the preparation of such washcoats was investigated. The loading percentage, homogeneity, and reproducibility were found to depend strongly on the slurry viscosity. Parameters such as the slurry-solids content, pH, type of powder used, and use and quantity of the dispersants were optimized for the preparation of stable, low-viscosity YSZ slurries, adjustments that could lead to an efficient coating process for honeycomb structures.     

Physical and oxidative stability of n-3 delivery emulsions added seaweed-based polysaccharide extracts from Nordic brown algae Saccharina latissima

Enriching foods with long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids requires a delivery emulsion system, which is both thermodynamically and oxidatively stable. The antioxidant and stabilizing properties of three types of polysaccharide extracts from brown algae Saccharina latissima with a mixed composition of polysaccharides (SA: 98% sodium alginate, SF: 90% alginate and 9% fucoidan, SL: 14.5% fucoidan, 9.5% laminarin, and co-extracted nonpolysaccharides) were evaluated. SA, SF, SL, and REF (added commercial sodium alginate) showed in vitro ferrous ion chelating ability in the order: SA (99%) > SL (78%) > REF (31%) > SF (16%). The difference in antioxidant activity between SA, REF, and SF appeared related to structural differences of alginate (M/G ratio). A storage trial was conducted using 70% (w/w) fish oil-in-water delivery emulsions added sodium caseinate (NaCas) (0.23 wt%) as emulsifier in combination with SA, SF, SL, or commercial NaAlg (REF) in different concentrations (C1 = 0.1, C2 = 0.2, C3 = 0.3, and C4 = 0.4 wt%). A control with only NaCas was included (CON). The physical (e.g., creaming and droplet-size distribution) and oxidative (peroxide value and volatiles) stability of the emulsions, were evaluated (12 days, dark at 20˚C). Acceptable physical stability (creaming index) was found for REF (all concentrations), SF = 0.2 wt% (C2), SL and SA = 0.3 wt% (C3) and 0.4 wt% (C4). In general, the oxidative stability decreased by adding REF, SA, and SF (except for REF at C1), as prooxidant activity was observed. However, SA showed antioxidant activity against the formation of 2-ethylfuran. SL showed antioxidant activity in decreasing the formation of volatile compounds in emulsions when added in concentrations above 0.2 wt%.