Influence of Anticorrosive Surface Treatment of Steel Reinforcement Fibers on the Properties of Ultra-High Performance Cement Composite.

The influence on the bond between the steel fiber and the matrix of the anticorrosive treatments of steel used for concrete reinforcement is not yet fully understood. The topic of steel fiber treatment was not also studied clearly in terms of brass removal before. This paper deals with how the brass on the surface of steel fibers behaves in the UHPC matrix and how it affects its properties. The steel fibers were firstly modified with a number of surface treatments to remove brass on their surface. Some of the treatments have never been tried before for this purpose. Secondly, the surface of the fibers was analyzed by SEM, EDS, XRF, and stereomicroscopy. Lastly, the properties of the composites were analyzed. It was found out that the majority of brass on the surface of the fibers could be removed by mixture of NH3 and H2O2 with a ratio of 3:1 (v/v). It was also found out that the surface treatment slightly affects the mechanical properties, but it does that only by mechanical interlocking between the fiber and the matrix. No dissolution of the surface treatment was observed under the given conditions. According to the results, steel fibers without surface treatment should be used in UHPC if available.

Comparison of Testing Methods for Evaluating the Resistance of Alkali-Activated Blast Furnace Slag Systems to Sulfur Dioxide.

Alkali-activated systems (AAS) represent an ecologically and economically sustainable inorganic binder as an alternative to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). One of the main benefits of AAS is their durability in aggressive environments, which can be equal or even better than that of OPC. In this paper, the influence of the type of alkaline activator in alkali-activated blast furnace slag (AAS) in terms of resistance to sulfur dioxide corrosion was investigated. The durability testing process was based on the CSN EN ISO 3231 standard and simultaneously compared with mortar samples prepared by using Blastfurnace cement CEM III/A 32.5R. The degradation progress was evaluated by employing several different methods such as observing the compressive strength development, weight change evaluation, non-destructive testing methods like ultrasound or impact echo technique, or visual phenolphthalein technique. Subsequently, fundamental characterization of samples by the XRD method was performed during the degradation test. The obtained results indicate that none of the testing methods used could be prioritized over others to determine the resistance of AAS against the action of sulfur dioxide. For this reason, the durability testing of AAS remains an issue, and the development of specific standards considering the behavior of AAS seems necessary.

Experimental Study of Slag Changes during the Very Early Stages of Its Alkaline Activation.

The very early stages of alkaline activation of slag control its rheology and setting, but also affect its hydration, which occurs later. Simultaneously, these parameters are dictated by the nature and dose of the alkaline activator. Therefore, we investigated and compared the changes in slag particles (SEM, BET, laser diffraction), as well as in the pore solution composition (ICP-OES), pH, and conductivity, of alkali-activated slag (AAS) pastes containing the three most common sodium activators (waterglass, hydroxide, and carbonate) and water during the first 24 h of its activation. To ensure the best possible comparability of the pastes, a fairly nontraditional mixture design was adopted, based on the same concentration of Na+ (4 mol/dm3) and the same volume fraction of slag in the paste (0.50). The results were correlated with the pastes' hydration kinetics (isothermal calorimetry), structural build-up (oscillatory rheology), and setting times (Vicat). Great differences were observed in most of these properties, in the formation of hydration products, and in the composition of the pore solution for each activator. The results emphasize the role of the anionic groups in the activators and of the pH, which help predict the sample's behavior based on its calorimetric curve, and offer data for further comparisons and for the modelling of AAS hydration for specific activators.

Use of Isothermal and Isoperibolic Calorimetry to Study the Effect of Zinc on Hydration of Cement Blended with Fly Ash.

Increasing utilization of secondary raw materials and alternative fuels results in increasing contents of metals in cements. Zinc is one of these elements. It comes to cement with secondary raw materials such as slag or fly ash or by the utilization of used tires as an alternative fuel. Zinc ions significantly prolong the hydration process in cement. This work deals with the influence of zinc ions in the form of very poorly soluble ZnO salt and easily soluble ZnCl2 and Zn(NO3)2 on the hydration of cement blended with fly ash. Zinc was dosed in the range of 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.5% and 1% of cement weight. The effect of zinc on hydration was monitored by isothermal and isoperibolic calorimetry. A 15% addition of fly ash to cement mainly causes further retardation of hydration reactions due to the reactions of fly ash particles with Ca2+ ions from cement. The strongest effect on the hydration retardation from all investigated compounds showed in ZnO as it dissolves very slowly. On the contrary, for the dosage of 1% of zinc in the form of ZnCl2 significant acceleration of hydration occurred. In this work, a synergistic effect on the prolongation of hydration with a combination of cement, zinc and fly ash was demonstrated. The lengths of induction periods were assessed from detected calorimetric curves and from these lengths the curves were gained by fitting with the exponential function. Final products were next analyzed using X-ray diffraction.

Application of Isothermal and Isoperibolic Calorimetry to Assess the Effect of Zinc on Hydration of Cement Blended with Slag.

This work deals with the influence of zinc on cement hydration. The amount of zinc in cement has increased over recent years. This is mainly due to the utilization of solid waste and tires, which are widely used as a fuel in a rotary kiln. Zinc can also be introduced to cement through such secondary raw materials as slag, due to increased recycling of galvanized materials. The aim of this work was to determine the effect of zinc on the hydration of Portland cement, blended with ground blast furnace slag (GBFS). This effect was studied by isothermal and isoperibolic calorimetry. Both calorimetry methods are suitable for measurements during the first days of hydration. Isoperibolic calorimetry monitors the hydration process in real-life conditions, while isothermal calorimetry does so at a defined chosen temperature. Zinc was added to the cement in the form of two soluble salts, namely Zn(NO3)2, ZnCl2, and a poorly soluble compound, ZnO. The concentration of added zinc was chosen to be 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, and 1mass percent. The amount of GBFS replacement was 15% of cement dosage. The newly formed hydration products were identified by X-ray diffraction method (XRD).

The Characterization of Fixation of Ba, Pb, and Cu in Alkali-Activated Fly Ash/Blast Furnace Slag Matrix.

The fixation of heavy metals (Ba, Cu, Pb) in an alkali-activated matrix was investigated. The matrix consisted of fly ash and blast furnace slag (BFS). The mixture of NaOH and Na-silicate was used as alkaline activator. Three analytical techniques were used to describe the fixation of heavy metals-X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). All heavy metals formed insoluble salts after alkaline activation. Ba was fixed as BaSO4, and only this product was crystalline. EDS mapping showed that Ba was cumulated in some regions and formed clusters. Pb was present in the form of Pb(OH)2 and was dispersed throughout the matrix on the edges of BFS grains. Cu was fixed as Cu(OH)2 and also was cumulated in some regions and formed clusters. Cu was present in two different chemical states; apart from Cu(OH)2, a Cu-O bond was also identified.

Effect of Na3PO4 on the Hydration Process of Alkali-Activated Blast Furnace Slag.

In recent years, the utilization of different non-traditional cements and composites has been increasing. Alkali-activated cementitious materials, especially those based on the alkali activation of blast furnace slag, have considerable potential for utilization in the building industry. However, alkali-slag cements exhibit very rapid setting times, which are too short in some circumstances, and these materials cannot be used for some applications. Therefore, it is necessary to find a suitable retarding admixture. It was shown that the sodium phosphate additive has a strong effect on the heat evolution during alkali activation and effectively retards the hydration reaction of alkali-activated blast furnace slag. The aim of the work is the suggestion of a reaction mechanism of retardation mainly based on Raman and X­ray photoelectron spectroscopy.