Influence of high-volume electric furnace nickel slag and phosphorous slag on the properties of massive concrete

This study applied high-volume electric furnace nickel slag (FS), phosphorous slag (PS) and a mixture of the two (FP) to massive concrete, and using fly ash (FA) as the control admixture, investigated the effects of FS and PS on the hydration and hardening process of the cementitious materials, the mechanical properties and the durability of the concrete. Two curing conditions were set, namely the standard curing condition and temperature-matched curing condition (or constant 25 and 50 °C). The hydration heat, hydration products, pore size distribution, mechanical properties and ability of the concrete to resist chloride ion penetration were tested. The results show that the activity of PS and FP is higher than that of FA, while that of FS is lower than that of FA; the improvement of FP on the pore structure of the hardened paste is close to that of FA at late ages under the standard curing condition but better than that of FA at all ages under the temperature-matched curing condition; high-volume FP concrete shows similar or even superior mechanical properties and permeability to chloride ions of concrete to high-volume FA concrete at late ages under both curing conditions.     

Influence of ground granulated blast furnace slag on the early hydration and microstructure of alkali-activated converter steel slag binder

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Alkali-activated materials are low-environmental-impact binders that can be obtained from the alkaline activation of industrial wastes. In this study,...     

Influence of Cu powders on the properties and characteristics of nano-MgO based aluminate cementitious materials

From the perspective of practical application, the development of desirable thermal and mechanical performance of solid sensible materials for thermal energy storage (TES) is highly needed. Here, we report the improved properties of nano-MgO optimized aluminate cementitious materials incorporated with Cu powders for TES. The composite TES materials were heated at 105, 350, and 900 °C, respectively. The results show that as the Cu powders content increases the thermal conductivity and volume heat capacity significantly increase, but there is a gradual decrease in compressive strength. Through the characterizations such as calorimetric test, XRD, FESEM, TG-DSC, and MIP, a significant feature of mass compensation also has been obtained, which might result from the oxidation reaction of the Cu powder at elevated temperatures.     

Investigation on mechanical properties, durability and micro-structural development of steel slag blended cements

To improve the properties of steel slag blended cements, a chemical activator was added into blended cements, the mechanical properties and durability of steel slag blended cements were investigated. The results show that steel slag in blended cement pastes presents low hydraulic activity and makes practically no contribution to strength development. After the addition of chemical activator, the mechanical properties and durability of ternary blended cements are increased significantly. The hydration process and micro-structural development of blended cement was investigated by isothermal calorimeter and scanning electric microscope, respectively. Steel slag started hydration in the first 3?days in the presence of chemical activator, steel slag and granulate blast furnace slag reacted with Ca(OH)₂ to form a dense microstructure as curing proceeded. Therefore, both early and late compressive strengths of steel slag blended cement with 35% cement clinker and 30% steel slag can be comparable with those of Portland cement.     

Comparing study on hydration properties of various cementitious systems

The hydration properties of slag sulfate cement (SSC), slag Portland cement (PSC), and ordinary Portland cement (POC) were compared in this study by determining the compressive strength of pastes, the hydration heat of binders within 72 h, the pore structure, the hydration products, and the hydration degree. The results indicated that main hydration products of PSC paste and POC paste are calcium hydroxide and C–S–H gel, while those of SSC paste are ettringite and C–S–H gel from the analyses of XRD, TG–DTA, and SEM. At the early curing age, the compressive strength depends on the clinker content in the cementitious system, while at the late curing age, which is related to the potential reactivity of slag. From hydration heat analysis, the cumulative hydration heat of PSC is lower than that of POC, but higher than that of SSC. Slag can limit chemical reaction and the delayed coagulation of gypsum, which also plays a role in the early hydration. So SSC shows the lowest heat release and slag can’t be simulated without a suitable alkaline solution. Based on MIP analysis, the porosity of POC paste is the smallest while the average pore size is the biggest. At the age of 90 days, the compressive strength of SSC can get higher development because of its relative smaller pore size than that of PSC and POC paste.     

Effect of Ca/Si ratio on the properties of steel slag and deactivated ZSM-5 autoclaved aerated concrete

In this study, the feasibility of the complete replacement of lime by steel slag (SS) as a calcium material with deactivated ZSM-5 for the preparation of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) was investigated. The effects of the Ca/Si ratio on the foaming effect, bulk density and mechanical strength, mineral composition, pore structure and microstructure were studied. The results show that the increase of the Ca/Si ratio enhanced the early foaming effect. AAC with an optimum Ca/Si ratio of 0.92 had a compressive strength and bulk density of 3.1 MPa and 535 kg/m³, respectively, meeting the national standards (GB/T 11968-2020) of grade A2.5 and B05. The increase of the Ca/Si ratio significantly reduced the number of pores with a pore size greater than 60 μm. In addition, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results show that an elevated Ca/Si ratio will change the shape and crystallinity of tobermorite.     

Comparison between the effects of superfine steel slag and superfine phosphorus slag on the long-term performances and durability of concrete

Superfine particles have been used as mineral admixtures to enhance physical properties, mechanical properties, and durability of concrete in a lot of research. In this study, superfine steel slag (FSS) and superfine phosphorus slag (FPS) were ground to 643 and 657 m² kg^?1, respectively. The water-to-binder (W/B) ratios were set as 0.45 as well as 0.35, and the cement replacements adopted were 15 and 30%. The effects of FSS and FPS on long-term performance and durability of concrete were investigated. The results show that the increase amplitude of reaction degree of FPS is higher than that of FSS at late age (after 90 days). FPS can improve the pore structure of concrete which is beneficial to the resistance to carbonation and chloride ion penetration for concrete at late age while FSS cannot. FPS is also more advantageous to the development of compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of concrete when compared to FSS at late age. FPS is much more beneficial to the resistance to sulfate attack of concrete while FSS is more disadvantageous to the resistance to sulfate attack of concrete as the replacement ratio increases.     

Simultaneous effect of silica fume,metakaolin and ground granulated blast-furnace slag on the hydration of multicomponent cementitious binders

Portland cement was partially replaced by metakaolin (MK), silica fume (SF) and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (BFS). Globally, two amounts of SF (5 and 10 mass%) and total substitution level of 35 mass% were used to prepare blended samples. Their early and 28 days hydration was studied by means of isothermal calorimetry and thermal analysis. Developed phase composition was assessed using compressive strength measurements. Acceleration of cement hydration in early times was proved and reflected higher amounts of finer additives. Despite dilution effect, the presence of more reactive SF and MK resulted in pozzolanic reactions manifesting already before 2 days of curing and contributing to the formation of strength possessing phases. The influence of BFS addition showed later and thanks to the synergic effect of all the used additives; it was possible to increase its content up to 25 mass% by keeping the compressive strength values near that of referential one.

     

Automated procedures for the spectrophotometric analysis of steel and slag

Summary The Technicon AutoAnalyzer has been successfully used for the automatic determination of phosphorus, manganese, and silicon in most types of steel. Phosphorus and silicon are determined as molybdenum-blue complexes and manganese is determined as permanganate.The system has also been applied to the determination of iron, manganese, phosphorus, and aluminium in steelmaking slags. For both steel and slag the sample is decomposed in acid, silicon removed as metasilicic acid and the solution diluted to a volume. From this stage the analysis is completely automatic.

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Zusammenfassung Der Technicon AutoAnalyzer wurde mit Erfolg zur automatischen Bestimmung von Phosphor, Mangan und Silicium in den meisten Stahlsorten eingesetzt. Phosphor und Silicium wurden dabei als Molybdänblau-Komplexe, Mangan als Permanganat bestimmt. Ebenso wurden auch Eisen, Mangan, Phosphor und Aluminium in den bei der Stahlerzeugung anfallenden Schlacken bestimmt. In beiden Fällen wird die Probe mit Säure aufgeschlossen, Silicium als Metakieselsäure entfernt und die Lösung zu einem bestimmten Volumen verdünnt. Von da ab verläuft das weitere Verfahren vollständig automatisch.

     

Radionuclides in steel slag intended for road construction

The objective of this study was to describe the radiochemical characteristics of electric arc furnace (EAF) slag from Croatian EAF black steel slags, generated from carbon steel production process in CMC Sisak d.o.o., and steel mill in Split in order to enhance the understanding of possibilities for their use in road construction. This article presents the results of radionuclide in electric arc furnace steel slag. The presence of natural isotopes ⁴⁰K, ²³²Th (²²⁸Ra), ²²⁶Ra and ²³⁸U was established. The measured activity in slag natural isotopes lies within the Croatian legally permitted limits.     

Preparation and properties of cementitious composites for geothermal applications

Three fiber-reinforced cement composites were prepared and cured in an autoclave for up to 168 h at 2 MPa of steam pressure in order to investigate the effect of hydrothermal curing on the alteration of pore structure, density, and formation and stability of hydrated products with time. Compressive strength was reviewed in connection with sample porosity. It was found that the time of autoclaving plays a crucial role in objective assessment of the durability of composites as potential candidates for geothermal applications. A mercury intrusion porosimeter Quantachrome Poremaster 60GT was used for the estimation of the pore structure parameters of composites. The thermal analysis method was used to identify different temperature ranges of cured samples?? thermal decomposition and to characterize the nature of hydrated products. Two kinds of products were formed. The first group consisted of calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H), calcium-silicate-aluminate-hydrate (C-S-A-H), calcium-aluminate-hydrate (C-A-H), and calcium-carbonate (C-C) as a product of carbonation. The second group are chemically bond products, e.g. hydroxyapatite (Ca₅(PO₄)₃(OH)) and gibbsite (Al(OH)₃). These two hydroceramic products formed under hydrothermal conditions act also as binders and they can be useful as geothermal cement binders.     

Effect of silicate modulus of water glass on the hydration of alkali-activated converter steel slag

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Converter steel slag, currently underutilized crystalline metallurgical residue, was investigated for use as a precursor for alkali activation. Water...     

The difference among the effects of high-temperature curing on the early hydration properties of different cementitious systems

The difference among the effects of high-temperature curing on the early hydration properties of the pure cement, the binder containing fly ash, the binder containing GGBS, and the binder containing steel slag was investigated by determining the compressive strength, non-evaporable water content, hydration heat, and Ca(OH)₂ content. Results show that the order of the influence degrees of high-temperature on the early hydration of different binders is the binder containing GGBS > the binder containing steel slag > the binder containing fly ash > the pure cement. In the case of short period of high-temperature curing (only 1 day), the strength growth rate of the concrete containing GGBS is the greatest. Though the influence of increasing high-temperature curing period on the hydration degree of the binder containing fly ash is not the most significant, the strength growth rate of the concrete containing fly ash is the most significant due to the excessive consumption of Ca(OH)₂ by reaction of fly ash. In the case of high-temperature curing, the Ca(OH)₂ content of the paste containing steel slag is much higher than those of the paste containing GGBS and the paste containing fly ash, so though high-temperature curing promotes the hydration of the binder containing steel slag significantly, its influence on the strength growth rate of the concrete containing steel slag is not so significant.     

Spectrometric determination of the fineness of gold

The use of the glow discharge source has been tested for the analysis of refined gold by direct reading emission spectrometry. Careful investigations of the discharge parameters and the introduction of the sputtering rate as internal standard led to a very precise and accurate analytical procedure which has been proved by analysing 100 unknown samples of refined gold. The proposed spectrometric analysis is at least as accurate as the conventional fire assay method and is much faster and laboursaving.     

The mechanism of pristine steel slag for boosted performance of fly ash-based geopolymers

The high autogenous shrinkage of geopolymers hampers their application as building materials. In this study, pristine steel slag was used as an expansion material to mitigate shrinkage in geopolymers. The influence of pristine steel slag on the chemical deformation of alkali-activated fly ash-based geopolymers is investigated. The microstructure of the expanded system was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR measurement, thermogravimetric measurement (TGA), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM/EDS) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). Finally, the mechanisms of expansion were elucidated. The experimental results show that the shrinkage of the geopolymer is eliminated with the addition of steel slag. Fly ash was replaced by 0, 5, 10, and 15% of steel slag, and the expansion rate ranged from ?0.29% to 20.24%. Increased steel slag content reduced the bulk density of geopolymer. The incorporation of steel slag not only provided calcium for the information of C-A-S-H but also filled the pores. Steel slag produces different expansion effects in different porous media and thus refines the pore structure. Therefore, expansion by means of steel slag is an efficient approach for mitigating shrinkage in fly ash-based geopolymers.     

Fast vacuum slag analysis in a steel works by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Samples taken from the liquid slag layer in a vacuum degasser station of a steel works are analyzed after solidification by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) without any further sample preparation. The mass fractions of the major components of the vacuum slags are in the range of 50–60% for CaO, 0.5–12% for SiO₂ and 20–40% for Al₂O₃. The species are distributed heterogeneously in the solid samples having diameters of 35 mm. Furthermore the color and structure of the samples is varying significantly. A fast spatial averaging of representative sample areas is realized by spatial laser beam shaping. Multivariate calibration and its validation is carried out with calibration and validation sets of production samples which are analyzed by X-ray fluorescence measurements or as borate beads for reference. The laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy instrument is installed in the steel works at a distance of about 10 m from the vacuum degasser. The laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy analysis runs automatically after the sample placement and it takes 80 s including data transfer to the host computer of the steel works. Operational tests are carried out to demonstrate the feasibility of a fast slag analysis in the harsh environment of the vacuum degasser plant.     

Improvement of surface cementitious properties of coarse fly ash by dehydration and rehydration processes

Owing to poor bonding between coarse fly ash particles and hydration products, gap-graded blended cements with fly ash usually show lower compressive strengths than Portland cement. Surface cementitious properties of coarse fly ash were improved by dehydration and rehydration processes in the present study. The results show that during the calcination at 750?°C, C?CS?CH gel is mainly transformed into a new nesosilicate, which is similar to a less crystalline C₂S. The formation of melilite from hydration products is also noticed at 900?°C, however, this will not contribute to rehydration of calcined fly ash. Rehydration of new generated nesosilicate on the surface of coarse fly ash leads to a better bonding between coarse fly ash particles and hydration products. As a result, both early and late mechanical properties of gap-graded blended cements containing 25% cement clinker and 39% calcined coarse fly ash are higher than those of 100% Portland cements.     

Influence of solvents on the properties of chemical compounds

Based on Sinanolu's solvent theory in connection with a method for the calculation of the molecular volume given by Beveridge a modified continuum model is suggested. The model is tested by the determination of the conformational structure of the title compounds. The predictions obtained by this model are in good agreement with the experimentally determined data.