Eight-year exploration of shrinkage in high-performance concrete

In this paper, an experimental and analytical exploration on the effect of water-binder ratio (w/b), silica fume and age on autogenous, carbonation, drying and total shrinkage of high-performance concrete (HPC) is outlined. Eight types of HPC were studied. Carbonation, internal relative humidity (RH) and strength were studied on specimens from the same batch of HPC that was used in the studies of shrinkage. The results indicate fairly good correlation between carbonation, shrinkage, w/b and RH. The type and amount of silica fume affected shrinkage.     

Electrochemical injection of organic corrosion inhibitors into carbonated cementitious materials: Part 1. Effects on pore solution chemistry

This series of investigations was intended to clarify phenomena associated with electrochemical injection of the organic base corrosion inhibitors, ethanolamine and guanidine, into carbonated concrete. In Part 1, experiments were conducted with laminated specimens of carbonated cement paste, that were specially designed to facilitate analysis with adequate spatial resolution to assess changes in their pore solution phase chemistry after they had been subjected to constant current electrolysis between embedded cathodes and external anodes. The anolyte solutions provided sources of ethanolamine or guanidine in contact with the exterior specimen surfaces. Effects of variations in the applied current density and duration of electrolysis on the concentration profiles of the two inhibitors and the other main constituents of the pore solution phase were determined. The results have been used to underpin the development of a mathematical model, which is described in Part 2.     

Influence of the composition of the binder and the carbonation on the zeta potential values of hardened cementitious materials

Electroosmotic experiments have been carried out on eight different mixes of hardened cementitious matrixes including concrete, mortar and pastes, different types of binders, carbonated and non-carbonated specimens and different test conditions. From these trials, the zeta potential values have been determined and the optimum experimental parameters and devices have been established. In addition, the influence of the composition of the binder on the zeta potential has been quantified indicating that higher amounts of Al₂O₃ in the binder lead to higher positive values of zeta potential, while the SiO₂ acts just on the opposite side. This has been explained in terms of the different i.e.p. (isoelectric point) for both oxides. Concerning the influence of carbonation, it increases the absolute value of the zeta potential toward more negative values; this behaviour has been attributed to the influence of the specifically adsorbed Ca²⁺ in the negative sites of the surface in the non-carbonated samples.     

Effect of sodium monofluorophosphate treatment on microstructure and frost salt scaling durability of slag cement paste

Sodium-monofluorophosphate (Na-MFP) is currently in use as a surface applied corrosion inhibitor in the concrete industry. Its basic mechanism is to protect the passive layer of the reinforcement steel against disruption due to carbonation. Carbonation is known as the most detrimental environmental effect on blast furnace slag cement (BFSC) concrete with respect to frost salt scaling. In this paper the effect of Na-MFP on the microstructure and frost salt scaling resistance of carbonated BFSC paste is presented. The results of electron microscopy, mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) are discussed. It is found that the treatment modifies the microstructure and improves the resistance of carbonated BFSC paste against frost salt attack.     

An apparent kinetic model for the carbonation of calcium oxide by carbon dioxide

For the apparent kinetics of the carbonation reaction of calcium oxide by carbon dioxide, as a kind of noncatalytic gas–solid reaction, a model equation has been proposed as follows: X=kbt/(b+t), where X is the conversion of CaO; k, a kinetic rate constant (time⁻¹); b, a constant (time) equivalent to the time taken to attain half the ultimate conversion of CaO, and t, the time. As a result of analyses for some literature-reported data of CaO-carbonation conversion, it has been found that the rate of the carbonation can be well represented by dX/dt=k(1−X/X_u)², where X_u is the ultimate conversion of CaO, which is given by the product of two parametric constants, k and b. The constants k and b in the two rate control regimes of CaO-carbonation, chemical reaction control and diffusion control, have been determined as functions of temperature, respectively. The activation energy in the carbonation of surface CaO with CO₂ is estimated to about 72 kJ/mol regardless of the sources of CaO, however, that in the diffusion control regime appears differently as 102.5 (mesoporous CaO) or 189.3 kJ/mol (commercial-available CaO), possibly due to the morphological differences of the two CaO samples. From a practical point of view, the simple model equation proposed in this study deserves attention in that the CaO-carbonation behavior at working temperatures higher than 700 °C could be closely predicted.     

碱式碳酸锌生产工艺的研究

本文介绍了碳酸化法新工艺，技术先进、效益明显、产品质量可靠，具有推广应用的价值。     

Experimental design approach to calcium carbonate precipitation in a semicontinuous process

The production of precipitated calcium carbonate, PCC, by a semicontinuous process of slaked lime carbonation was performed in a bench-scale chemical reactor, fully controlled by means of custom built electronics and software for the personal computer. Calcite crystals, with different characteristic morphologies (rhombohedral, truncated prismatic, scalenohedral, spheroidal or chain-like agglomerates) were produced by varying a range of process parameters, like temperature, supersaturation, gas mixture flow rate, stirring rate and mass concentration of Ca(OH)₂ suspension. In order to identify the effects of the chosen process parameters on the PCC morphology and on the related specific surface area, as well as on the extent of CO₂ conversion, an empirical approach based on the experimental design techniques was employed. A multiple correlation analysis of the obtained data suggests that temperature and conductivity significantly influence the PCC morphology, while CO₂ conversion is principally influenced by stirring rate, conductivity and gas mixture flow rate.     

Permeability characteristics of carbonated concrete considering capillary pore structure

During carbonation process, the calcium phases present in cement are attacked by CO₂ and converted into CaCO₃ and the permeability of concrete is changing due to the change in porosity. The rate of carbonation depends upon porosity and moisture content of the concrete. Especially in underground reinforced concrete structures, the interior portion of concrete surface may be exposed to carbonation and the exterior portion of concrete surface exposed to wet soil or underground water. As carbonation proceeds from outer surface into internal portion of concrete, microstructure is also changed continuously from outer surface into internal portion of concrete. Even the deteriorations in the structures due to the carbonation have been reported more, research on permeability characteristics of concrete considering carbonation and micro-structural information is very scarce.In this study, the permeability coefficient in carbonated concrete is derived by applying a capillary pore structure formation model in carbonated cement mortar and assuming that aggregates do not affect carbonation process in early-aged concrete as a function of porosity. The permeability obtained from the micro-level modeling for carbonated concrete is verified with the results of accelerated carbonation test and water penetration test in cement mortar.     

Assessment of mechanical properties of concrete incorporating carbonated recycled concrete aggregates

An accelerated carbonation technique was employed to strengthen the quality of recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs) in this study. The properties of the carbonated RCAs and their influence on the mechanical properties of new concrete were then evaluated. Two types of RCAs, an old type of RCAs sourced from demolished old buildings and a new type of RCAs derived from a designed concrete mixture, were used. The chosen RCAs were firstly carbonated for 24 h in a carbonation chamber with a 100% CO₂ concentration at a pressure level of 0.1 Bar and 5.0 Bar, respectively. The experimental results showed that the properties of RCAs were improved after the carbonation treatment. This resulted in performance enhancement of the new concrete prepared with the carbonated RCAs, especially an obvious increase of the mechanical strengths for the concrete prepared with the 100% carbonated new RCAs. Moreover, the replacement percentage of natural aggregates by the carbonated RCAs can be increased to 60% with an insignificant reduction in the mechanical properties of the new concrete.     

碳化法生产拟薄水铝石工业实践

介绍我厂拟薄水铝石的生产实践和工艺技术改造。