Diffusion and reaction mechanism of limestone and quartz in fluxed iron ore pellet roasting process

The increase to the proportion of fluxed pellets in the blast furnace burden is a useful way to reduce the carbon emissions in the ironmaking process.In this study,the interaction between calcium carbonate and iron ore powder and the mineralization mechanism of fluxed iron ore pellet in the roasting process were investigated through diffusion couple experiments.Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy was used to study the elements’diffusion and phase transformation during the roasting process.The results indicated that limestone decomposed into calcium oxide,and magnetite was oxidized to hematite at the early stage of preheating.With the increase in roasting temperature,the diffusion rate of Fe and Ca was obviously accelerated,while the diffusion rate of Si was relatively slow.The order of magnitude of interdiffusion coefficient of Fe_(2)O_(3)-CaO diffusion couple was 10^(−10) m^(2)·s^(−1) at a roasting temperature of 1200℃for 9 h.Ca_(2)Fe_(2)O_(5) was the initial product in the Fe_(2)O_(3)-CaO-SiO_(2) diffusion interface,and then Ca_(2)Fe_(2)O_(5) continued to react with Fe_(2)O_(3) to form CaFe_(2)O_(4).With the expansion of the diffusion region,the sillico-ferrite of calcium liquid phase was produced due to the melting of SiO_(2) into CaFe_(2)O_(4),which can strengthen the consolidation of fluxed pellets.Furthermore,andradite would be formed around a small part of quartz particles,which is also conducive to the consolidation of fluxed pellets.In addition,the principle diagram of limestone and quartz diffusion reaction in the process of fluxed pellet roasting was discussed.

The Influence of Limestone Powder and Metakaolin Co-Blending on the Hydration Process and Mechanical Properties of Q-Phase Cement

A ternary system comprising Ca_(20)Al_(26)Mg_(3)Si_(3)O_(68)(Q-phase),limestone,and metakaolin is proposed,and its hydration behavior,hydration product phases,microstructure,and mechanical properties are investigated and compared with pure Q-phase cement.The results indicate that the ternary system exhibits exceptional and sustained compressive strength even under a 40℃environment,significantly outperforming pure Q-phase.The mechanism lies in that metakaolin effectively inhibits the transformation of metastable phase.Meanwhile,the interactions among Q-phase,limestone,and metakaolin further enhance the cementitious performance.The ternary system effectively addresses potential issues of strength loss in Q-phase cement application,and as a low-carbon cementitious material system,it holds promising potential applications.

Graph theoretical analysis of limestone fracture network damage patterns based on uniaxial compression test

The topological attributes of fracture networks in limestone,subject to intense hydrodynamics and intricate geological discontinuities,substantially influence the mechanical and hydraulic characteristics of the rock mass.The dynamical evolution of fracture networks under stress is crucial for unveiling the interaction patterns among fractures.However,existing models are undirected graphs focused on stationary topology,which need optimization to depict fractures'dynamic development and rupture process.To compensate for the time and destruction terms,we propose the damage network model,which defines the physical interpretation of fractures through the ternary motif.We focus primarily on the evolution of node types,topological attributes,and motifs of the fracture network in limestone under uniaxial stress.Observations expose the varying behavior of the nodes'self-dynamics and neighbors'adjacent dynamics in the fracture network.This approach elucidates the impact of micro-crack behaviors on large brittle shear fractures from a topological perspective and further subdivides the progressive failure stage into four distinct phases(isolated crack growth phase,crack splay phase,damage coalescence phase,and mechanical failure phase)based on the significance profile of the motif.Regression analysis reveals a positive linear and negative power correlation between fracture network density and branch number to the rock damage resistance,respectively.The damage network model introduces a novel methodology for depicting the interaction of two-dimensional(2D)projected fractures,considering the dynamic spatiotemporal development characteristics and fracture geometric variation.It helps dynamically characterize properties such as connectivity,permeability,and damage factors while comprehensively assessing damage in rock mass fracture networks.

Water-induced physicochemical and pore changes in limestone for surrounding rock across pressure aquifers

Osmotic water alters the physicochemical properties and internal structures of limestone.This issue is particularly critical in tunnel construction across mountainous regions with aquifers,where pressurized groundwater can destabilize the limestone-based surrounding rock.Thus,systematic research into the physicochemical properties and pore structure changes in the limestone under pressurized water is essential.Additionally,it is essential to develop an interpretable mathematical model to accurately depict how pressurized osmotic water weakens limestone.In this research,a specialized device was designed to simulate the process of osmotic laminar flow within limestone.Then,four main tests were conducted:mass loss,acoustic emission(AE),mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP),and fluorescence analysis.Experimental results gained from tests led to the development of a“Particle-pore throat-water film”model.Proposed model explains water-induced physicochemical and pore changes in limestone under osmotic pressure and reveals evolutionary mechanisms as pressure increases.Based on experimental results and model,we found that osmotic pressure not only alters limestone composition but also affects pore throats larger than 0.1μm.Furthermore,osmotic pressure expands pore throats,enhancing pore structure uniformity,interconnectivity,and permeability.These effects are observed at a threshold of 7.5 MPa,where cohesive forces within the mineral lattice are surpassed,leading to the breakdown of erosion-resistant layer and a significant increase in hydrochemical erosion.

Effect of diagenetic variation on the static and dynamic mechanical behavior of coral reef limestone

Coral reef limestone at different depositional depths and facies differ remarkably on the textural and mineralogical characteristics,owing to the complex sedimentary diagenesis.To explore the effects of pore structure and mineral composition associated with diagenetic variation on the mechanical behavior of reef limestone,a series of quasi-static and dynamic compression tests along with microscopic examinations were performed on the reef limestone at shallow and deep burial depths.It is revealed that the shallow reef limestone(SRL)is classified as a porous aragonite-type carbonate rock with high porosity(55.3±3.2)%and pore connectivity.In comparison,the deep reef limestone(DRL)is mainly composed of dense calcite-type calcium carbonate with low porosity(4.9±1.6)%and pore connectivity.The DRL strengthened and stiffened by the tight grain framework consistently displays much higher values of the dynamic compressive strength,elastic modulus,brittleness index,and specific energy absorption than those of the SRL.The gap between two types of limestone further increases with an increase in strain rate.It appears that the failure pattern of SRL is dominated by the inherent defects like weak bonding interfaces and growth lines,revealed by the intricate fracturing network and mixed failure.Likewise,although the preexisting megapores in DRL may affect the crack propagation on pore tips to a certain distance,it hardly alters the axial splitting failure of DRL under impacts.The stress wave propagation and attenuation in SRL is primarily controlled by the reflection and diffusion caused by plenty mesopores,as well as an energy dissipation in layer-wise pore collapse and adjacent grain crushing,while the stress wave in DRL is highly hinged on the insulation and diffraction induced by the isolated megapores.This process is accompanied by the energy dissipation behavior of inelastic deformation resulted from the pore-emanated microcracking.

Experimental Study on the Chloride Ion Concentration of Cement Pastes Prepared with Limestone Powder

To investigate the impact of limestone powder on the chloride ion concentration coefficient of cement pastes,various techniques such as scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),thermogravimetric analysis(TGA),and mercury-porosimetry(MIP)were employed in this paper.The findings demonstrate that the creation of Friedel's salt is inversely associated with the addition of limestone powder,that is,Friedel's salt production is lessened by adding more limestone powder,however,the coefficient of chloride ion concentration initially decreased and then increased again,as does the porosity,and most likely the pore size as well.The specific surface area of limestone powder has increased,and the content of Friedel’s salt increased first and then decreased.However,the shifting trend of Friedel's salt and chloride ion concentration coefficient is in direct opposition,and the pore structure was therefore significantly enhanced.The results of this study offer robust theoretical backing for the inclusion of limestone powder in concrete and provide a positive assessment of its potential applications.

Dominance of rock exposure and soil depth in leaf trait networks outweighs soil quality in karst limestone and dolomite habitats

Leaf trait networks(LTNs)visualize the intricate linkages reflecting plant trait-functional coordination.Typical karst vegetation,developed from lithological dolomite and limestone,generally exhibits differential communities,possibly due to habitat rock exposure,soil depth,and soil physicochemical properties variations,leading to a shift from plant trait variation to functional linkages.However,how soil and habitat quality affect the differentiation of leaf trait networks remains unclear.LTNs were constructed for typical dolomite and limestone habitats by analyzing twenty-one woody plant leaf traits across fifty-six forest subplots in karst mountains.The differences between dolomite and limestone LTNs were compared using network parameters.The network association of soil and habitat quality was analyzed using redundancy analysis(RDA),Mantle's test,and a random forest model.The limestone LTN exhibited significantly higher edge density with lower diameter and average path length when compared to the dolomite LTN.It indicates LTN differentiation,with the limestone network displaying a more compact architecture and higher connectivity than the dolomite network.The specific leaf phosphorus and leaf nitrogen contents of dolomite LTN,as well as the leaf mass and leaf carbon contents of limestone LTN,significantly contributed to network degree and closeness,serving as crucial node traits regulating LTN connectedness.Additionally,both habitat LTNs significantly correlated with soil nitrogen and phosphorus,stoichiometric ratios,pH,and organic carbon,as well as soil depth and rock exposure rates,with soil depth and rock exposure showing greater relative importance.Soil depth and rock exposure dominate trait network differentiation,with the limestone habitat exhibiting a more compact network architecture than the dolomite habitat.

A machine learning-based strategy for predicting the mechanical strength of coral reef limestone using X-ray computed tomography

Different sedimentary zones in coral reefs lead to significant anisotropy in the pore structure of coral reef limestone(CRL),making it difficult to study mechanical behaviors.With X-ray computed tomography(CT),112 CRL samples were utilized for training the support vector machine(SVM)-,random forest(RF)-,and back propagation neural network(BPNN)-based models,respectively.Simultaneously,the machine learning model was embedded into genetic algorithm(GA)for parameter optimization to effectively predict uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)of CRL.Results indicate that the BPNN model with five hidden layers presents the best training effect in the data set of CRL.The SVM-based model shows a tendency to overfitting in the training set and poor generalization ability in the testing set.The RF-based model is suitable for training CRL samples with large data.Analysis of Pearson correlation coefficient matrix and the percentage increment method of performance metrics shows that the dry density,pore structure,and porosity of CRL are strongly correlated to UCS.However,the P-wave velocity is almost uncorrelated to the UCS,which is significantly distinct from the law for homogenous geomaterials.In addition,the pore tensor proposed in this paper can effectively reflect the pore structure of coral framework limestone(CFL)and coral boulder limestone(CBL),realizing the quantitative characterization of the heterogeneity and anisotropy of pore.The pore tensor provides a feasible idea to establish the relationship between pore structure and mechanical behavior of CRL.

Dynamic failure of dry and fully saturated limestone samples based on incubation time concept

This paper outlines the results of experimental study of the dynamic rock failure based on the comparison of dry and saturated limestone samples obtained during the dynamic compression and split tests. The tests were performed using the Kolsky method and its modifications for dynamic splitting. The mechanical data(e.g. strength, time and energy characteristics) of this material at high strain rates are obtained. It is shown that these characteristics are sensitive to the strain rate. A unified interpretation of these rate effects, based on the structuraletemporal approach, is hereby presented. It is demonstrated that the temporal dependence of the dynamic compressive and split tensile strengths of dry and saturated limestone samples can be predicted by the incubation time criterion. Previously discovered possibilities to optimize(minimize) the energy input for the failure process is discussed in connection with industrial rock failure processes. It is shown that the optimal energy input value associated with critical load, which is required to initialize failure in the rock media, strongly depends on the incubation time and the impact duration. The optimal load shapes, which minimize the momentum for a single failure impact, are demonstrated. Through this investigation, a possible approach to reduce the specific energy required for rock cutting by means of high-frequency vibrations is also discussed.

Study on the Characteristics of Main Vegetation Communities in the Limestone Region of Taihang Mountain

[Objective] The aim was to study the characteristics of main vegetation communities in the limestone region of Taihang Mountain,so as to lay foundation for the further improvement of site conditions and the scientific breeding of vegetation used to restore the mountain field in limestone region.[Method] Based on the investigation of various vegetation communities in controlled test area,forbidden region and barren hillsides in Daqing Mountain basin,Beishui Valley,Mancheng County,Hebei Province,the difference among controlled region,forbidden region and barren hillsides could be found through data analysis and composite score,and the modes of vegetation communities in controlled region and forbidden region were compared to select predominant species of arbor,shrub and grass in limestone region.[Result] Under the similar site conditions,nutrient content and physical properties of soil in controlled region and forbidden region were superior to those of barren hillsides,and persimmon had high nutrient content and better physical properties compared with oriental arborvitae in controlled region;soil water maintenance and litter characters in controlled region and forbidden region improved more obviously than that of barren hillsides,and shrubbery in forbidden region was the most excellent,arborvitae and persimmon in controlled region the second;the biomass and the coverage rate of vegetation communities in controlled region and forbidden region were higher than those of barren hillsides,and those of shrubbery in forbidden region were better than tussock in closing hill,while persimmon was better than arborvitae in controlled region.The predominant species of arbor,shrub and herbage were obtained through composite score.[Conclusion] From the aspects of soil nutrient,physical properties,soil water maintenance,litter characters,vegetation biomass,canopy density and coverage,controlled region and forbidden region were superior to barren hillsides,and the selection of predominant species of arbor,shrub and herbage considered both ecological and economic benefits.

Ordovician limestone aquosity prediction using nonlinear seismic attributes:Case from the Xutuan coal mine

Ordovician limestone water is coal mines. In this paper, we analyze the the main source of water inrush in North China characteristic of three kinds of nonlinear seismic attributes, such as the largest lyapunov exponent,fractal dimension and entropy and introduce their calculation methods. Taking the 81st and 82nd coal districts in the Xutuan coal mine as examples, we extract the three seismic attributes based on the 3D prestack migration seismic data of this area, which can display the Ordovician limestone fracture distribution in the mine. We comprehensively analyzed the three nonlinear seismic attributes and compared the results with transient electromagnetic exploration results and determined the possible Ordovician limestone aquosity distribution. This demonstrated that the nonlinear seismic attributes technology is an effective approach to predict the aquosity of Ordovician limestone.

Model of limestone calcination / sulfation under oxy-fuel fluidized bed combustion

The characteristics of the simultaneous calcination/ sulfation of limestone under oxy-fuel fluidized bed combustion were studied and compared with those of the sulfation of precalcined CaO. During the calcination stage, SO2 can react with product CaO and slow down the CaCO3 decomposition rate by the covering effect of the CaSO4 product. The sulfation rate of simultaneous calcinatiort/sulfation is slower than that of precalcined CaO, but with a long enough sulfation time, the calcium conversion of simultaneous calcination/sulfation is higher than that of the precalcined CaO. A grain-micrograin model is established to describe the simultaneous calcination, sintering and sulfation of limestone. The graln-micrograln model can reflect the true reaction process of the calcination and sulfation of limestone in oxy-fuel fluidized bed combustion.

Time-sensitivity of the Kaiser effect of acoustic emission in limestone and its application to measurements of in-situ stress

Measuring in-situ stress by using the Kaiser effect in rocks has such advantages as timeefficiency, low cost and little limitation, but the precision of the method is dependent on rock properties and delay time of the measurement. In this paper, experiments on the Kaiser effect in limestones were performed, and it was found that the limestones had good ability to retain a memory of their recent stress history and high time-sensitivity. The longer the experiment was delayed from the extraction of the stone, the larger the Felicity ratio was. As the Felicity ratio approached l, significant Kaiser effect was observed. In-situ stress should be determined by the limestone measurements when the delay time was 40-120 days. Finally, the in-situ stress in a limestone formation could be successfully measured in practice.

Computer vision-based limestone rock-type classification using probabilistic neural network

Proper quality planning of limestone raw materials is an essential job of maintaining desired feed in cement plant. Rock-type identification is an integrated part of quality planning for limestone mine. In this paper, a computer vision-based rock-type classification algorithm is proposed for fast and reliable identification without human intervention. A laboratory scale vision-based model was developed using probabilistic neural network（PNN） where color histogram features are used as input. The color image histogram-based features that include weighted mean, skewness and kurtosis features are extracted for all three color space red, green, and blue. A total nine features are used as input for the PNN classification model. The smoothing parameter for PNN model is selected judicially to develop an optimal or close to the optimum classification model. The developed PPN is validated using the test data set and results reveal that the proposed vision-based model can perform satisfactorily for classifying limestone rocktypes. Overall the error of mis-classification is below 6%. When compared with other three classification algorithms, it is observed that the proposed method performs substantially better than all three classification algorithms.

Effect of Limestone Powder on Microstructure of Concrete

The effect of limestone powder on microstructure of concrete was studied by using mercury intrusion porosimetry （MIP）, backscattering scanning electron（BSE）, scanning electron mi- croscopy （SEM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD） techniques. The experimental results show that the compressive strength of concrete containing 100 kg/m3 limestone powder can meet the strength requirement. Limestone powder has not pozzolanic activity; it is still unhydrated at the age of 28 days. But its filling effect can make the paste matrix and the interfacial transition zone between matrix and aggregate denser, which will improve the performance of concrete.

Overburden management in open pits: options and limits in large limestone quarries

The management of overburden is an important task in open pit exploitations. Site topography and morphology as well as geological and geotechnical properties of natural and remoulded materials are the most important factors affecting the disposal phase. Economic and environmental requirements must be followed in order to achieve the best reclamation results, keeping into account site constraints such as slope stability, hauling and dumping issues, and interactions with groundwater. This paper deals with the above mentioned issues, illustrating a rational approach applied on the case of a large limestone quarry where the thickness of the overburden is relevant and the spoil material has to be dumped in a flooded pit. The proposed multidisciplinary approach led to the selection of most suitable methods for excavation, transportation and disposal. The selection was based on a detailed laboratory and site characterisation that defined favorable and adverse factors to be considered during the preliminary study of a large quarrying project.

New Evidence for Hydrothermal Sedimentary Genesis of the Ni-Mo Deposits in Black Rock Series of the Basal Cambrian, Guizhou Province: Discovery of Coarse-Grained Limestones and its Geochemical Characteristics

The molybdenum-nickel deposits in Shuidong District of Nayong County （Guizhou Province, Southwest China） are found mainly in black shale series of Lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation, which is another Mo-Ni-rich region besides Zunyi District （Guizhou province）. Our systematic study on the Mo-Ni deposits in Tangjiaba of Nayong reveals that layered coarse-grained limestones, spherical beaded limestones concretions are hosted at the lower seam of the Mo-Ni deposits. Its strong negative carbon isotope anomaly （the carbon isotope value of the coarse-grained limestones varies from -2.148‰ to 8.223‰） is similar to that in the modern submarine black smoker chimney. The carbon in the coarse-grained limestones from black rock series of Nayong County might be deep source inorganic carbon. The seams, coarse-grained limestones, ore-bearing coarse-grained limestones and the roof and floor of the deposits are characterized by co-variation on the trace element spider diagram, showing good homology. The extraordinary enrichment of Ag, As and Sb resembles hydrothermal sedimentation. Pro-Earth＇s core elements Se is strongly enriched in Ni-Mo ore-bearing coarse-grained limestones. The ore-bearing rock series has an extremely low Th/U value （0.012-0.19）; in the logU-logTh Cartesian Coordinates, the samples of the roof and floor of the deposits and ore-bearing coarse-grained limestones are found in the East Pacific tise; and the samples of coarse-grained limestones are found between the paleo-hydrothermal dedimentary area and the East Pacific tise. The chondrite-normalized rare earth element patterns of the Ni-Mo deposits show LREE enrichment, Ce negative anomaly, and Eu negative anomaly （which is supposed to be influenced by the deep magmatic processes in an extensional environment） resembles the rare earth element distribution patterns of the fluid and its sediments in modern submarine hydrothermal system. It proves that coarse-grained limestones is characterized by typical hydrothermal limestones, being closely related with the genesis of Mo-Ni deposits in Nayong County, which provides new evidence for hydrothermal sedimentary genesis of Mo-Ni deposit and negative carbon anomaly in the basal Cambrian on a global scale.

Effect of Limestone Powder and Fly Ash on Magnesium Sulfate Resistance of Mortar

The effect of limestone powder and fly ash on magnesium sulfate resistance of mortar was studied by testing on the strength, expansion and hydration products of the specimens stored in MgSO4 solution at certain periods. The experimental results show that the strength of mortar stored in MgSO4 solution increases a little before 28 d, but decreases fast subsequently. The more the contents of limestone powder and fly ash, the less the strength losses. Mortar swells in the MgSO4 solution with the soaking time. And the more the contents of limestone powder and fly ash, the less the expansion rate is. The expansion or strength loss of mortars results from the expansion of gypsum, as well as the loss of Ca（OH）2 and other hydration products of cement. The magnesium sulfate resistance of the mortars containing limestone powder and fly ash is high.

广西马平灰岩腕足动物群的时代问题——兼评“Fauna of the Maping Limestone of Kwangsi and Kweichow”

ｒａｂａｕ（１９３６）记述的马平动物群中所有的腕足类化石标本并不是产于真正的马平（灰岩）组，而是产自有关地区下石炭统最上部的罗城组和上石炭统下部的黄龙组下部，时代为Ｓｅｒｐｏｕｋｈｏｖｉａｎ－Ｂａｓｈｋｉｌｉａｎ期。

Heterogeneous Mg isotopic composition of the early Carboniferous limestone: implications for carbonate as a seawater archive

Carbonate precipitation and hydrothermal reaction are the two major processes that remove Mg from seawater.Mg isotopes are significantly(up to 5%)fractionated during carbonate precipitation by preferential incorporation of ^(24)Mg,while hydrothermal reactions are associated with negligible Mg isotope fractionation by preferential sequestration of^( 26)Mg.Thus,the marine Mg cycle could be reflected by seawater Mg isotopic composition(δ^(26)Mg_(sw)),which might be recorded in marine carbonate.However,carbonates are both texturally and compositionally heterogeneous,and it is unclear which carbonate component is the most reliable for reconstructing δ^(26)Mg_(sw).In this study,we measured Mg isotopic compositions of limestone samples collected from the early Carboniferous Huangjin Formation in South China.Based on petrographic studies,four carbonate components were recognized:micrite,marine cement,brachiopod shell,and mixture.The four components had distinct δ^(26)Mg:(1)micrite samples ranged from -2.86% to -2.97%;(2)pure marine cements varied from -3.40% to -3.54%,while impure cement samples containing small amount of Rugosa coral skeletons showed a wider range(-3.27% to-3.75%);(3)values for the mixture component were-3.17% and -3.49%;and (4)brachiopod shells ranged from -2.20% to -3.07%,with the thickened hinge area enriched in ^( 24)Mg.Due to having multiple carbonate sources,neither the micrite nor the mixture component could be used to reconstruct δ^(26)Mg_(sw).In addition,the marine cement was homogenous in Mg isotopes,but lacking the fractionation by inorganic carbonate precipitation that is prerequisite for the accurate determination of δ^(26)Mg_(sw).Furthermore,brachiopod shells had heterogeneous C and Mg isotopes,suggesting a significant vital effect during growth.Overall,the heterogeneous δ^(26)Mg of the Huangjin limestone makes it difficult to reconstruct δ^(26)Mg_(sw)using bulk carbonate/calcareous sediments.Finally,δ^(26)Mg_(sw)was only slightly affected by the faunal composition of carbonate-secreting organisms,even though biogenic carbonate accounts for more than 90% of marine carbonate production in Phanerozoic oceans and there is a wide range(0.2%–4.8%)of fractionation during biogenic carbonate formation.