Heats of immersion in relation to water losses of chromium exchanged mordenite

Chromium-exchanged mordenite samples were thermally dehydrated in vacuo over the temperature range 100–480°C. The effects of thermal treatment on water losses and heats of immersion in water, methanol, and cyclohexane are discussed.From the results obtained, it is concluded that the chromium ions reflect smaller heats of ion hydration compared with the sodium ions in sodium mordenite¹. The displaying parameters are, the hydration of metal cations, filling of the vacated pore structure, and the structural collapse at the high temperature studied. It was found that the heats of immersion decrease with increasing molecular size of the wetting liquid.     

Thermal resistance,microstructure and mechanical properties of type I Portland cement pastes containing low-cost nanoparticles

This study aimed to utilize laboratory-prepared nano-silica (NS) and nano-alumina (NA) as low-cost nano-oxides additions for improving the mechanical properties and thermal resistance of hardened ordinary Portland cement (OPC) pastes. NS was synthesized from rice husk ash in the absence of any surfactant, while NA was synthesized from AlCl₃ in the presence of CTAB as a surfactant. The average particle sizes of synthesized NS and NA were 30 and 40 nm, respectively. Nano-silica or nano-alumina was added to OPC as a single phase with different ratios of 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 by mass % of OPC. The physico-chemical characteristics of different OPC-NS and OPC-NA hardened pastes were studied after 1, 3, 7, 14, 28 and 90 days of hydration. The resistance of the hardened composites for firing was evaluated for specimens cured for 28 days under tap water and then fired at 300, 600 and 800 °C for 3 h. The fired specimens were cooled by two methods: gradual cooling and rapid cooling. The compressive strength test was performed for all mixes at each firing temperature. The compressive strength results revealed that the optimum addition of NS is 1, whereas the optimum addition of NA is 0.5 by mass % of OPC. XRD, TG/DTG and SEM results indicated that ill-crystalline and nearly amorphous C–S–H, C–A–S–H and C–A–H were the main hydration products.     

Effect of thermal treatment of rice husk ash on surface properties of hydrated portland cement-rice husk ash pastes

Portland cement was mixed with rice husk ash (RHA) fired at 450, 700 and 1000C, in ratios of 5, 15 and 25% of RHA by mass. Cement-RHA pastes were made by using a water/solid mixture ratio of 0.30 by mass and then cured for various hydration periods within the range 3 to 90 days. The surface properties of the hydrated samples were studied by means of the nitrogen adsorption technique. The results indicated that the hydrated cement-RHA samples made from rice husks fired at 450 and 700C gave higher values of surface area than that for the hydrated cement-RHA sample made from rice husks fired at 1000C. The surface area and pore volume results could be related to the pore structure of the silica produced in the RHA, as controlled by its predicted degree of crystallinity.     

Artificial pozzolanic cement pastes containing burnt clay with and without silica fume

Pozzolanic cement blends were prepared by the partial substitution of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with different percentages of burnt clay (BC), Libyan clay fired at 700 °C, of 10, 20, and 30%. The pastes were made using an initial water/solid ratio of 0.30 by mass of each cement blend and hydrated for 1, 3, 7, 28, and 90 days. The pozzolanic OPC–BC blend containing 30% BC was also admixed with 2.5 and 5% silica fume (SF) to improve the physicomechanical characteristics. The hardened pozzolanic cement pastes were subjected to compressive strength and hydration kinetics tests. The results of compressive strength indicated slightly higher values for the paste made of OPC–BC blend containing 10% BC The results of DSC and XRD studies indicated the formation and later the stabilization of calcium silicates hydrates (CSH) and calcium aluminosilicate hydrates (C₃ASH₄ and C₂ASH₈) as the main hydration products in addition to free calcium hydroxide (CH). Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) examination revealed that the pozzolanic cement pastes made of OPC–BC mixes possesses a denser structure than that of the neat OPC paste. Furthermore, the addition of SF resulted in a further densification of the microstructure of the hardened OPC–BC–SF pastes; this was reflected on the observed improvement in the compressive strength values at all ages of hydration.     

Physico-chemical and Thermal Characteristics of Lime-silica Fume Pastes

Five lime-silica fume pastes were investigated using initial CaO/SiO₂ molar ratios of 0.80, 1.0, 1.30, 1.70 and 2.0. The kinetics and mechanism of hydration interaction between lime and silica fume were studied on the basis of the phase composition and the physical state of the formed hydration products. The developed strength could be related to the lime content of the lime-silica mixture and the formed hydrates. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Surface properties of silicas produced by thermal treatment of rice-husk ash

Silica samples were prepared by firing rice-husk ash at various temperatures ranging from 500 to 1400°C for a period of 3 h. Adsorption of nitrogen was used to study the surface properties of the silica obtained at each firing temperature. The parameters derived were related to the pore structure and the degree of crystallinity of the silica samples. X-Ray diffraction analysis was also used for the identification of the silica phases produced by thermal treatment of rice-husk ash.     

Sorption of uranium(VI) from aqueous solution using nanomagnetite particles; with and without humic acid coating

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - In this study, iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4) and iron oxide nanoparticles with humic acid coatings (Fe3O4/HA) were investigated for the removal...     

Characteristics of lime-silica fume mixtures

The hydration of two calcium hydroxide-silica fume mixtures was studied at 25°C. The mixtures were prepared at lime/silica molar ratios of 1.0 and 1.7. The free lime, free silica and chemically combined water contents were determined after various periods of hydration (0.5 h-90 days). Thus, the molar ratios CaO/SiO₂ and H₂O/SiO₂ molar in the calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) formed could be derived. The hydrates formed were identified by using differential thermal analysis. The mechanism of the hydration-gardening thermal analysis. The mechanism of the hydration-hardening reaction between lime and silica fumes was suggested. The changes in the molar ratios CaO/SiO₂ and H₂O/SiO₂ in the C-S-H formed with the time of hydration were found to follow the same trends as observed during the hydration course for the suggested mechanism.     

Thermal and Pore Structural Characteristics of Polymer-impregnated and Superplasticized Cement Pastes

Two sets of hardened cement pastes were prepared by (a) impregnation with polymethyl methacrylate and polystyrene or (b) admixing with water-soluble condensates(superplasticizers) such as Na-phenol sulphonate formaldehyde, Na-polystyrene sulphonateand Na-β-naphthol sulphonate formaldehyde. The pastes were hydrated for 180 days. The results of nitrogen adsorption indicated that polymer impregnation strongly affected the specific surface areas and the total pore volumes of the hardened cement pastes. XRD analysis, DTA and TG demonstrated (a) the formation of new phases as a result of the interactions involving the polymer within the pore system of the hydrated products of the impregnated cement pastes, and (b) no change in the phase composition of the hydrated products of the cement pastes admixed with superplasticizers. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of thermal treatment of rice husk ash on the surface properties of hydrated lime-rice husk ash binders

Rice husk ash fired at different temperatures, 450, 700 and 1000°C, was mixed with different concentrations of lime (molar lime/silica ash ratio of 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0). Each dry mixture was first ground and hydrated in the suspension form (water/solid ratio = 10) for various time intervals within the range of 1 to 365 days. The surface properties of the unhydrated and hydrated samples were studied by means of nitrogen adsorption measurements. The results indicated that the surface areas and total pore volumes of unhydrated solid mixtures and hydrated lime-rice husk ash samples, prepared with lime/silica ash ratio of 1.0, decrease with increasing firing temperature of rice husk ash. The effect of varying the lime/silica ash ratio of the solid mixture on the surface area and pore structure was fully discussed. The results of surface area and pore volume measurements could also be related to the crystal structure of silica produced from rice husk ash.