Mineral admixtures in mortars effect of type, amount and fineness of fine constituents on compressive strength

This work is the third part of an overall project the aim of which is the development of general mix design rules for concrete containing different kinds of mineral admixtures (also named mineral additions or mineral constituents). It deals with the compressive strength of mortars made with up to 75% of crushed quartz, limestone filler or fly ash of different fineness. The paper presents all the experimental results as a sort of database and emphasizes the effects on strength of the nature, amount and fineness of mineral admixtures. For short hydration times (1 to 2 days), the nature of mineral admixture is not a significant parameter, as mortars containing the same amount of different kinds of admixtures having equivalent fineness present similar strengths. For long hydration times (up to 6 months), the excess strength due to fly ash pozzolanic activity is quantified by the difference between the strengths of mortars containing the same proportions of inert and pozzolanic admixtures with the same fineness. In the case of inert mineral admixtures, the increase in strength with the fineness of mineral admixtures cannot be explained by the filler effect, but can be attributed to the physical effect of heterogeneous nucleation. In the next part of this work, these results will be used for the elaboration of an empirical model leading to the quantification of both physical and chemical effects. This model presents strong similarities with the previous model based on calorimetric results.     

Measurement and calculation of swelling equilibria for water/poly(acrylamide-sodiumallylsulfonate) systems

Superabsorbent poly(acrylamide-sodiumallylsulfonate) was synthesized from acrylamide (AM) and sodiumallylsulfonate (SAS) by a solution polymerization method. N,N’-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS) was used as the crosslinker; potassium persulfite (PP) and N,N,N’,N’-tetra-methylenediamine (TMEDA) were used as the redox initiator during the synthesis. The absorption capacities of the synthesized superabsorbent poly(AM-SAS) were repeatedly measured to obtain the optimal poly(AM-SAS) according to the variations of monomer concentration at 298.15 K. Its maximal absorption capacity appeared as 811 times at 0.1 mol/L among from 0.01 mol/L to 0.16 mol/L of SAS concentrations. The swelling equilibria at those conditions from 298.15 K to 318.15 K were measured and used to estimate the parameters by correlating with the Flory-Huggins model. The swelling behavior could be described by the parameters and the calculated values agreed satisfactorily with the experimental data.     

Compressive response of multilayered pyramidal lattices during underwater shock loading

The quasi-static and dynamic compressive mechanical response of a multilayered pyramidal lattice structure constructed from stainless-steel was investigated. The lattices were fabricated by folding perforated 304 stainless steel sheets and bonding them to thin intervening sheets using a transient liquid-phase bonding technique. The resulting structure was attached to thick face sheets and the through thickness mechanical response was investigated quasi-statically and dynamically, in the latter case using a planar explosive loading technique. The lattice is found to crush in a progressive manner by the sequential (cooperative) buckling of truss layers. This results in a quasi-static stress strain response that exhibits a significant “metal foam” like stress plateau to strains of about 60% before rapid hardening due to truss impingement with the intermediate face sheets. During dynamic loading, sequential buckling of the truss layers was manifested as a series of transmitted pressure pulses measured at the back face of the test samples. The sequential buckling extended the duration of the back face pressure–time waveform and significantly reduced the transmitted pressure measured at the back face. The impulse transmitted to the structure is found to be about 28% less than that predicted by analytic treatments of the fluid-structure interaction for fully supported structures. This transmitted impulse reduction appears to be a consequence of the wet side face sheet movement away from the blast wave and is facilitated by the low crush resistance of the lattice structure.     

Heat-treating below recrystallization temperature to enhance compressive failure strain and work of fracture of magnesium

New bimetal magnesium/aluminium macrocomposite containing millimeter-scale Al core reinforcement was fabricated using solidification processing followed by hot coextrusion. Microstructural characterisation revealed increased grain size, Mg texture change and unbalanced interfacial interdiffusion of Mg and Al into each other. Stress at the bimetal interface was attributed to solid solution formation, thermal expansion mismatch, unbalanced Kirkendall strain, lattice misfit strain, and strain localization effects, these being interface localized strengthening phenomena. Compressive testing revealed that presence of Al core decreased 0.2% YS (−23%) and ultimate compressive strength (UCS) (−11%), but significantly increased failure strain (+134%) and work of fracture (+60%) of Mg in the as-extruded macrocomposite. Also, interfacial relaxation during heat treating significantly increased failure strain (+17%) and work of fracture (+17%) of Mg/Al macrocomposite without compromising 0.2% YS and UCS. The effects of presence of millimeter-scale Al core as well as interfacial relaxation on the compressive properties of the bimetal macrocomposite are investigated in this paper.     

The effect of curing temperature on sulphate-resistant cement hydration and strength

This paper describes the behaviour of sulphate resistant cement paste hydrated at temperatures ranging from 4 to 85 °C. A number of techniques and methods were used to study hydration: compressive strength, thermogravimetry, X-ray diffraction, mercury intrusion porosimetry, backscattered electron imaging in conjunction with energy dispersive X-ray analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Early age compressive strength was found to be higher in cement pastes cured at 40 and 85 °C than in the materials hydrated at 4 and 22 °C, due to the formation of larger quantities of hydrated product in the former. The MAS NMR findings showed that this higher early age strength was related to increased CSH gel polymerization rates, and a concomitantly larger average number of units in the SiO₄ chains. The formation of CSH gels with very long chains at early ages hindered the uptake of further hydration products, however. This in turn generated more porous and less cohesive structures, causing a decline in mechanical strength, as confirmed by the backscattered electron imaging and porosity results.     

Recycled granulate obtained from waste alumina-rich refractory powder by the cold bonding process

Within the scope of the present study the cold-bonding process was used for the recycling of waste filter powder which was mixed with two different binders in different concentrations; alumino-silicate cement and potassium water glass, and combinations of these two materials, and hardened at room temperature. Selected samples were also fired at 1200 °C. Tests to determine tensile and compressive strength, density and porosity, as well as dilatometry and SEM analyses, were performed. As expected, compressive strength increased as a function of the concentration of the potassium water glass. When combinations of both binders were used, compressive strengths were higher, but a significant increase in strength was also achieved by firing the samples. The compressive strengths of the non-fired samples were in the range from 0.8 to 2.4 MPa, whereas after firing strengths of up to 36 MPa were obtained. During the firing density increased, and porosity was reduced, while the average pore size increased. The results of dilatometric analysis showed that the granulate produced with cement shrink upon firing up to 300 °C, but then start slowly to expand, whereas the granulate produced by water glass first expanded on firing up to 800 °C, and then began to shrink swiftly. In the case of combinations of the two binders, shrinkage as well as expansion on firing was less pronounced. Selected granulate prepared using potassium water glass were also tested in a refractory concrete matrix in order to verify their usability.     

新型水泥基吸波材料的性能分析研究

通过三层设计,使新型水泥基吸波材料与空间波阻抗实现良好的匹配,并具有优良的电磁波损耗特性,测试了新型吸波材料的吸波性能和抗压强度。研究表明,该水泥基吸波板反射率均低于-5.9d B,最小反射率出现在4.5GHz,达-22.4d B;小于-10d B有效带宽为10.8GHz,占整个波段63.3%;水泥基吸波材料28d抗压强度为49.2MPa,较基准的降低了15%。     

脱硫石油焦灰-硫铝酸盐水泥发泡体系的性能试验研究

以硫铝酸盐水泥和脱硫石油焦灰为复合胶凝材料,基于双氧水发泡工艺制备发泡保温材料。研究了水胶比和发泡剂用量对脱硫石油焦灰—硫铝酸盐水泥发泡体系抗压强度和干表观密度的影响。试验结果表明,水胶比相同时,发泡水泥的干表观密度和抗压强度均随发泡剂用量增加而降低,而抗压强度在发泡剂增加到一定程度时趋于稳定;发泡剂用量相同时,干表观密度随水胶比增加而先增加后降低,抗压强度随水胶比增加总体呈上升趋势。其中当水胶比较低时,试块强度增长较快;当水胶比较高时,试块强度趋于稳定。     

采用双掺法配制沙漠砂混凝土性能试验研究

运用同时掺加机制砂和高性能减水剂的"双掺法"制备了不同强度等级的沙漠砂混凝土,分析了高性能减水剂对沙漠砂混凝土性能的影响及不同强度等级下采用双掺法配制的沙漠砂混凝土与普通中砂混凝土坍落度及强度等性能上的区别。结果表明,高性能减水剂不仅能改善沙漠砂混凝土的和易性,且具有早强效果,并对最终强度的提高有一定帮助。双掺法制备的沙漠砂混凝土与同配合比的普通中砂混凝土相比,坍落度相差不大,在强度方面当所配混凝土强度等级较低时,二者的抗压强度相近;随着混凝土强度等级的提高,沙漠砂混凝土的抗压强度逐渐低于普通中砂混凝土。此外,与按照常规方法制备的沙漠砂混凝土相比,双掺法制备的沙漠砂混凝土的坍落度有很大提高。     

Compressive strength and preliminary in vitro evaluation of gypsum and gypsum–polymer composites in protein-free SBF at 37 °C

Gypsum is a bioresorbable material that has been used in many applications such as tissue regeneration. Mechanical properties of gypsum have limited its applications to non-load bearing sites. The current study aimed at studying the compressive strength and behaviour of gypsum–polymer composites in protein-free simulated body fluids (SBF). Polymers studied were poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and its copolymers with vinyl acetate and itaconic acid in addition to vinyl acetate and vinyl chloride. Composites with the highest compressive strength results were chosen for the preliminary in vitro evaluation in protein-free SBF solutions. Changes in the concentrations of Ca²⁺ and PO₄³⁻ ions, weight loss and morphology of the solid samples were monitored after soaking them in SBF and 1.5 SBF solutions. Results showed resorption of gypsum, concurrently with deposition of apatite in all composites, including polymer-free gypsum. Mechanical integrities of all samples were maintained, suggesting their stabilities when used as bone cements.