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In this paper, the strength development of a pure steel slag (SS) system with various concentrations of N,N,N′,N′-Tetrakis-(2-hydroxyethyl) ethylenediamine (THEED) was investigated. The hydration kinetics, pore structure and microstructure of SS pastes with and without THEED were characterized to underscore the working mechanism of THEED. Results show that THEED additions significantly increase the 3, 7 and 28 days compressive strength of hardened SS pastes. The enhancement effect increases with the dosage of THEED. At a concentration of 2000 ppm, THEED increased the compressive strength by 733%, 665%, and 545% at 3, 7 and 28 days, respectively. It is confirmed that THEED additions improve the hydration degree of SS by accelerating hydration of the aluminum phase (C3A, PDF-38-1429; C12A7, PDF-48-1882) and C2F,(PDF 38-0408) to generate Mc (PDF-41-0219) and Pa (PDF-30-0222) in the presence of CaCO3. Also, the hydration degree of silicates is increased by THEED. In this way, THEED additions refine the pore structure of hardened SS paste by increasing the pore volume with a diameter below 300 nm to achieve enhancement. The chelating effect of THEED results in promoting dissolution of SS, which provides the driving force for accelerating SS hydration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NOx emission from the cement industry have received much attention. In order to reduce the NOx emission in cement kilns, nickel slag was used to prepare the non-ammonia denitrification material, and a denitrification mechanism was proposed in this study. The results showed that the denitrification material prepared at pH 7 exhibited the best denitrification performance. At low temperature, the highest denitrification performance was achieved between 200 and 300 °C with a NO decomposition rate of approximately 40%. Then, the NO decomposition rate increased as the temperature increased, reaching over 95% above 700 °C. The physicochemical characteristics showed that the material had the highest specific surface area and the highest relative Fe content, which benefited the denitrification performance. The divalent iron of the denitrification material was considered the active site for the reaction, and trivalent iron was not conducive to denitrification performance at a low temperature range. After the denitrification reaction, the Fe3+/Fe2+ increased from 0.89 to 1.31. The proposed denitrification mechanism was the redox process between divalent iron and trivalent iron. This study not only recycles industrial waste to reduce solid waste pollution but also efficiently removes nitrogen oxides from cement kilns without ammonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combined utilization of mineral accelerators and nano-seeding materials is a novel method to promote the early strength of cement-based materials. In this paper, the effects of nano-C-S-H seed (NCS) on the early compressive strength of the Portland cement (PC)– calcium sulfoaluminate cement (CSA) binder were investigated. The results showed that NCS and CSA synergistically contributed to the early strength of PC. In detail, a 326.3% increase in the 10 h compressive strength of PC paste was obtained through the addition of NCS (2 wt%) and CSA (5%) in common. This was higher than the sum of the increases observed with the single additions of CSA (157.9%) or NCS (87.6%), with the same above dosage, in PC. Meanwhile, the early strength enhancement effects of NCS and CSA, when used together in PC, lasted longer than the effects of either used alone. Moreover, the synergetic effect mechanism was analyzed by isothermal calorimeter, QXRD, TGA, MIP, and SEM techniques. The calorimetry, XRD, and TGA results demonstrated that the synergistic mechanism was associated with the synergistic promotion effects of CSA and NCS on the hydrates. The fast hydration of CSA produced large amounts of ettringite and also consumed partial free water to promote the performance of the seeding effect of NCS which, simultaneously, further accelerated the precipitation of C-S-H gel and CH. The high alkie environment was also beneficial for the continuous generation of ettringite. In addition, the results of MIP and SEM measurements showed that the micro-filling effect of NCS significantly optimized the pore structure of a PC-CSA blend-hardened paste. Thus, the synergistic strength enhancement effects of CSA and NCS on PC were attributed to the matching of the promotion of hydration generation and the optimization of pore structures in hardening cement paste. The results of this article provide a new approach to achieving the rapid development of the early strength of cementitious materials, with potential applications in precast concrete and low-temperature construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing or eliminating cracks caused by shrinkage of cementitious materials remains a daunting challenge for construction engineers. Drying shrinkage and autogenous shrinkage are the main shrinkage types in the service process of cement-based materials, which have a great impact on engineering applications. If cracks in concrete generate by drying or autogenous shrinkage, the mechanical properties, water resistance and durability of concrete will be also affected. It is an effective method to use chemical admixtures to inhibit the shrinkage of cement-based materials. Polycarboxylate plasticizer (PCE) is an important chemical admixture in cement-based materials and is widely used in practical engineering. It can bring great value by reducing the shrinkage effect through molecular design. Through our innovative design, a series of shrinkage-reducing polycarboxylate superplasticizers (SRPs) were synthesized, their molecular structures were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and their molecular properties were determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Furthermore, the shrinkage performances at different ages of the mortars containing the synthesized SRPs with different structures were systematically evaluated. The results showed that compared with the blank sample, the dry shrinkage rate and free shrinkage rate of the mortars containing SRP decreased by over 20% and 15%, respectively. Additionally, the shrinkage rates of the mortars containing SRP were significantly lower than that of the mortar containing conventional PCE, and moreover, the water-reducing performance was improved compared to conventional PCE. Based on the experimental results of surface tension and evaporation rate of different SRP solutions, the mechanism of the shrinkage-reducing effect was probed, as expected to provide guidance for the design and development of new shrinkage-reducing admixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-healing cementitious materials are a promising means for ensuring sustainable concrete infrastructure and promoting long-term service lives. To obtain microcapsules that are versatile in varying environments, in this study, absorbing microcapsules with calcium alginate as the shell and epoxy resin as the core were prepared. The absorbing microcapsules exhibit self-healing and can reduce the shrinkage of cementitious materials. Volume changes of the microcapsules in the hardened paste with increasing hydration age were observed using three-dimensional X-ray computed tomography. In the hardened cement paste with a water-cement ratio of 0.29, the absorption of the microcapsules lasted for several days, and the release of water lasted for 28 days. The absorption of microcapsules affected the fluidity of cement paste, and it was significantly weakened and delayed due to the lower absorption rate. The addition of absorbing microcapsules significantly reduced the autogenous and drying shrinkage of mortars. For microcapsules with a core content of 55% added at 3.5% of cement weight, autogenous shrinkage was almost eliminated. Most importantly, the addition of absorbing microcapsules could achieve a certain degree of recovery of compressive strength as well as satisfactory recovery of impermeability in dry and wet environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to obtain low-cost and excellent adsorption materials, this paper used calcium acetate and water glass as raw materials to synthesis hydrated calcium silicate gel by precipitation method. The performance and structure of hydrated calcium silicate gel were systematically studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, specific surface area analyzer and scanning electron microscope. Studies have shown that, non-crystal hydrated calcium silicate gel (CSH) were successfully prepared, and the removal rate of lead ion using CSH reached more than 90%. The adsorption process is consistent with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir adsorption isotherm model, and the limit adsorption capacity reaches 263.17 mg·g−1. The acid treatment experiment proved that the adsorption capacity of lead ion using CSH was satisfactory, and the adsorption rate remained at >60% after 5 cycles. The research may provide a low-cost, high-efficiency and high stability adsorbent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the cement industry, SO2 and NOx are generally removed separately. There are many problems, such as large area, high investment cost, secondary pollution and so on. Desulfurization and denitrification technology have become a frontier research direction in the field of air pollution control. In this paper, rice husk ash and carbide slag were compounded and modified to prepare modified rice husk ash-carbide slag composite absorbent, and its desulfurization and denitrification performance and mechanism were studied. The results showed that the NO conversion and SO2 conversion of the modified rice husk ash-carbide slag composite absorbent increased by 44% and 2%, respectively, at 700 °C. Fibrous calcium silicate and calcium silicoaluminate hydrates were formed during the hydration process, which made the specific surface area of the absorbent larger and provided more reactive sites. The hydration process increases the content of oxygen-containing functional groups, decreases the hydroxyl/ether C–O functional groups, and increases the content of carboxyl–COO functional groups are conducive to the denitrification reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulphoaluminate cement has the advantage of low-temperature application performance, but its hydration mechanism at low temperatures is not yet clear. Anhydrous calcium sulfoaluminate (C4A3 S) is the main mineral in the composition of sulfoaluminate cement clinkers. In this paper, C4A3 S mixed with gypsum (CaSO4∙2H2O) to form a C4A3 S -C S H2 cement system; X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TG-DTG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and mercury intrusion analysis (MIP) to clarify the effect of temperatures on the hydration properties of C4A3 S -C S H2 cement system. The results showed that hydration of the C4A3 S -C S H2 cement system could carry on at low temperatures, even at −15 °C. The main hydration product was ettringite. Low temperatures did not change the types of the hydration products, but the low temperature of 0 °C was more favorable for the formation of ettringite. The early hydration of the C4A3 S -C S H2 cement system was inhibited by the decrease in temperature. However, hydration of the cement at 0 °C continued at a high rate after one day. Morphologies of the ettringite for the C4A3 S -C S H2 cement system at −15 °C were needle-like structures, while they were of columnar structure at 0 °C. The compressive strength of samples at 0 °C reached 82 MPa, which is significantly higher than that at 20 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The slag obtained in the process of pig iron smelting has been widely used, but the variational hydration activity always is a significant factor affecting its quality. In this experiment, the laboratory simulated slag was prepared by adjusting the chemical composition and cooling method. The experiment primary characterized the structure and hydration process with different types of slag by using MAS NMR, XRD, compressive strength, ICP, SEM, and hydration heat, then obtained the influence of the composition of the network former S/A (the mass ratio of SiO2 and Al2O3 in chemical composition) and amorphous phase content on its structure and hydration activity. The result shows that lowering the S/A value can reduce the degree of vitreous polymerization in the slag; reducing the S/A value of the slag can make the slag hydration time advance, and consequently, the cumulative exotherm increases, the liquid phase Ca/Si and Al/Si ionic ratio increases, and the hydration product changes from C–S–H gel to C–A–S–H gel, which ultimately leads to an increase in compressive strength. In the high S/A value slag, the formation of the trace crystal phase of gehlenite is beneficial to reduce the degree of polymerization of the amorphous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of polycarboxylate superplasticizer (PCE) polymers were synthesized from acrylic acid (AA) and isoprenyloxy polyethylene glycol ether (IPEG) at the mole ratios of 3.0, 4.2, 5.0 and 6.0. In this study, the molecular weight properties of PCE polymers were recorded by size exclusion chromatography with the time interval of 1 h. Mini slump test was used to detect the dispersing effectiveness of PCE polymer in cement paste. The results indicated that the reaction rate of monomers, conversion of 52IPEG macromonomer and molecular weight of PCE polymers increased with the general adding ratio of AA to IPEG macromonomers while the side chain density of PCE polymers decreased. PCE polymers possessed molecular weight around 30,000 g/mol with low side chain density, and long main chain length presented high initial dispersing effectiveness at the low dosage around 0.12%. The majority of effective PCE polymers were formed during the adding period of acrylic acid in the first 3 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions have attracted much attention for increasing concern on the quality of the atmospheric environment. In view of NO decomposition in the cement production process, the preparation of Cu-Al/SiO2 porous material and its effect on NO decomposition were studied, and the denitrification mechanism was proposed in this paper. The NO decomposition performance of the Cu-Al/SiO2 porous material was tested via the experimental setup and infrared spectrometer and micro gas chromatography (GC). The result shows that the Cu-Al/SiO2 porous material with the template of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) had a better NO decomposition rate than materials with other templates when the temperature was above 500 °C, and NO decomposition rate could approach 100% at high temperatures above 750 °C. Structure analysis indicates that the prepared Cu-Al/SiO2 material structure was a mesoporous structure. The X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry (UV–Vis) results of the denitrification product show that the Cu-Al/SiO2 material mainly decomposed to Cu2O and Si2O, and the CuO decomposed to Cu2O and O2 at high temperature. The Cu(I)O was considered as the active phase. The redox process between Cu(II)O and Cu(I)O was thought to be the denitrification mechanism of the Cu-Al/SiO2 porous material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of MCM-41 molecular sieves with different molar ratio of template to silicon were synthesized through hydrothermal synthesis method by using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the template, diatomite as the silicon source. By using impregnation method, the Mn-Ce/MCM-41 SCR molecular sieve-based catalysts were prepared. The results observed that when the molar ratio of template to silicon was 0.2:1, the MCM-41 as catalyst carrier has the highest surface area and largest pore volume, it also presented typically ordered hexagonal arrays of uniform channels. The denitration catalytic material based on this carrier has a high number of Lewis acidic sites, and the denitration efficiency can reach more than 93%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air quenched slag is processed by a fast air cooling method which is developed with the advantages of recovering heat from molten slag and water conservation compared to the water quenching method. Air quenched slags with different chemical compositions are synthesized in the lab by designing three chemical composition ratios: (CaO + MgO)/(SiO2 + Al2O3), CaO/MgO and SiO2/Al2O3, which are donated as CM/SA, C/M and S/A, respectively. The effect of different chemical compositions on the phase compositions of synthetic air quenched slag, the strength and hydration properties of slag blends were investigated by using various characterization techniques. The results show that the amorphous content of air quenched slag decreased with the increasing basicity CM/SA of slag. The S/A ratio of slag was the dominant factor for the compressive strength of slag blends at 28 days and negatively correlated with strength. Decreasing the S/A ratio of slag increased the reactivity of slag and its reaction degree indicated by higher hydration heat release, lower CH content, greater chemical combined water amount and denser microstructure. Moreover, thermodynamic modelling revealed that a higher S/A of slag leads to the increase of C-(A)-S-H and AFt contents, whilst decreasing the amounts of Ht, AFm-SO4 phases and the total volume of hydrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were oxidized by a mixture of sulfuric acid and nitric acid (V:V = 3:1) at 70 °C for 1, 2, and 4 h, respectively. The oxidized MWCNTs were characterized by N2 adsorption, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and Raman spectroscopy to determine the oxidation degree. The dispersion of the MWCNTs was investigated by UV-vis-NIR, SEM, and dynamic light scattering measurements. Results show that sulfonitric treatment increased the surface area and total pore volume and reduced the average pore diameter of MWCNTs. The treatment promoted the formation of oxidized species on the surface MWCNTs, as identified by FT-IR, TGA, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, and more oxygen-containing functional groups were generated when treatment time was extended. Moreover, a general relationship between oxidation degree and dispersibility of MWCNTs in water was established. UV-vis-NIR and dynamic light scattering measurements and SEM images revealed that MWCNTs with higher oxidation degree showed better dispersibility in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]