Expansion Performance and Microstructure of High-performance Concrete using Differently Scaled MgO Agents and Mineral Powder

To investigate the assumptions proposed in this paper,the evolution law governing the strength and expansion performance of MgO and nano-MgO micro-expansive concrete in the environment of mineral powder was firstly observed in this study.Secondly,SEM,XRD,and TG-DSC microscopic tests were conducted to reveal the effects of the active mineral-powder admixture on the hydration degree and expansion performance of MgO and nano-MgO in HPC.Our experimental results successfully verified our hypothesis,which indicated that the expansion performance of macro-MgO and nano-MgO was indeed depressed by the addition of active mineral power admixtures,even though the mechanical property of concrete composites was effectively improved.Furthermore,the hydration test also demonstrated the negative interference on the mineral powders,which was induced by the expansion agents.It is found the amounts of hydrates tend to decrease because the mineral powder ratio reaches and exceeds 40%.Moreover,it is also concluded the effect of expansion agents is governed by the alkalinity cement paste,especially for the nano-MgO.In other words,the expansion performance of nano-MgO will vary more obviously with the hydration process,than MgO.The results of this study provide that effective experimental and theoretical data support the hydration-inhibition mechanism of magnesium expansive agents.

The Influence of Mesoscopic Characteristics of Mineral Powders Fillers on the Rutting Factor(G^(*)/sinδ)of Asphalt Mortar

This study aims to investigate the efiect of the mesoscopic characteristics of mineral powder fillers on the rutting resistance of asphalt mortar.Extraction and sieving tests were used to obtain the buton rock asphalt(BRA)ash with particle size smaller than 0.075 mm,which is consistent with that of the conventional mineral powder.The mesoscopic characteristics of BRA ash and conventional mineral powder were measured by SEM image analysis and the osmotic free pressure water method.Mesoscopic structure models of structural and free asphalts in mortar were obtained.The 70#matrix asphalt was used to prepare two kinds of asphalt mortar with BRA ash and conventional mineral powders fillers.The rutting factor of the two asphalt mortars was tested by dynamic shear test(DSR).Test results show that the ash extracted from BRA has a similar mesoscopic classification with the conventional mineral powder.Still,its fractal dimensions are larger,indicating the particles in BRA ash have more complex shapes and rougher surfaces,which is beneficial for forming structural asphalt and subsequently increasing the rutting factor(G*/sinδ),i e,improving the rutting resistance of the asphalt mortar.

Effects of Curing Systems on Properties of High Volume Fine Mineral Powder RPC and Appearance of Hydrates

The effects of different curing systems on the properties of high volume fine mineral powder RPC （reactive powder concrete） and the appearances of hydrates were studied. The experimental results show that dry-heating curing promotes the development of pozzolanic reactivity of fine mineral powder; due to low cement content, 0.20 water-bind ratio and high reactive fine mineral powder content, the strength of RPC increases by around 200% after steam curing and subsequent dry-heating curing. Scanning electron microscopy and energy spectrum diagram showed that： after the high volume fine mineral powder RPC with 0.16 water-bind ratio underwent steam curing and dry-heating curing, there was no significant change in the appearance of hydrates; after the RPC with 0.20 water-bind ratio, the cement content of 150 kg/m3 and more steel slag powder underwent dry-heating curing, there was a certain change in the appearance of C-S-H, the structure of gel was more compact and was uniformly distributed, and the Ca/Si of C-S-H gel decreased from 1.41 to around 1.20.

Effect of Substitution of Cement by Mineral Powders on the Physico-mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Sand Concretes

The approach that contributes to the development of eco-materials in construction is the use of mineral powders,which can improve mechani­cal properties and reduce cement consumption.This article aims to study the effect of substitution by mass of cement with mineral powders on the physicomechanical properties and microstructure of sand concretes.The used mineral powders are A:the limestone,B:the natural pozzolan,C:the hydraulic lime,D:(1/3 limestone+1/3 natural pozzolan+1/3 hydraulic lime),and E:(1/2 natural pozzolan+1/2 hydraulic lime).The studied percentages are 5%,10%and 15%,in both separated and combined states.The studied properties are workability,compressive strength,the elastic­ity modulus in compression,shrinkage and microstructure analysis.The objective is to target the optimal percentage of the substitution of cement with mineral powders,which ensures the best compromise between the main properties of the studied sand concretes.The obtained results show that the optimal percentage is in favor of the substitution of cement by 10%D(1/3 limestone,1/3 natural pozzolan and 1/3 hydraulic lime).Even the 15%of mineral powder D,presented similar performances compared to the sand concrete(without mineral powders).Finally,in the context of the development of eco-materials,it should be noted that the 10%D and 15%D(1/3 limestone,1/3 natural pozzolan and 1/3 hydraulic lime)contribute to decrease the use of cement and consequently to reduce of CO2 emissions.

Biotransformation of Earthworm Activity on Potassium-Bearing Mineral Powder

This study analyzes the biotransformation of earthworms on K in potassium-bearing mineral powder （PBMP） under different PBMP recruitments. A mixture of PBMP （10% to 60% mass fraction） and decaying cow dung was used as feed for breeding the earthworms to study the potassium-releasing ability of earthworms on PBMP in soil. The mixture containing 20% and 30% PBMP resulted in good growth and propagation of the earthworms as well as higher conversion rates of potassium. Therefore, the optimum recruitments of mineral powder are 20% and 30%. The mixture of cow dung and PBMP was compared with the mixture of cow dung and corresponding proportions of quartz powder to analyze the conversion rate of earthworms on PBMP in different combinations. After the earthworms were raised with the mixture of cow dung and PBMP （8 ： 2 and 7 ： 3） for 30 d, the contents of rapidly available K and effective K were 10 824.3±35.9 and 11 688.4±16.1 mg.k-1 as well as 10 079.6±62.2 and 10 247.5±172.7 mg.kg-1, respectively. After the earthworms were raised with the mixture of cow dung and quartz powder （8 ： 2 and 7 ： 3） for 30 d, the contents of rapidly available K and effective K were 10 623.3±41.1 and 11 385.5±13.5 mg.kg-1 as well as 9 834.2±51.8 and 9 907.6±11.4 mg.kg-1, respectively. Thus, the contents of rapidly available K and effective K in the mixture of cow dung and PBMP were significantly higher compared with those in the mixture of cow dung and quartz powder （P〈0.05）. The increment contents of rapidly available K and effective K were 201.0 and 302.9 mg.kg1 as well as 245.4 and 339.9 mg-kg1, respectively. Therefore, earthworms can activate and trans-form K into effective K through feeding, digestion, absorption, and excretion. The results pro- vided a new idea of using earthworms to release potassium in low-grade potassium-bearing rocks and obtain the rapidly available K and effective K needed by plants.

Evaluation on Moisture Resistance of Asphalt Mixture with Active Mineral Powder

A new type of filler named 'active mineral powder' (AMP) was introduced and applied in asphalt mixture in order to improve the adhesive property of gneiss or granite aggregates and asphalt. The treated mixtures contained 2% AMP by weight of the total aggregates as filler. The moisture stabilization properties of various combined mixtures were analyzed using the adhesive test,Marshall stability and indirect tensile strength tests. Five frost-thaw cycles test was conducted to further investigate the effect of active filler on asphalt mixtures in the indirect tensile strength experiment. The results show that active filler improves the moisture stability of mixtures with gneiss and granite. The active mechanism of AMP was also discussed in this paper.

The Compression-deformation Behaviour of Concrete with Various Modified Recycled Aggregates

Modified recycled aggregates were prepared with three different cement-admixture grouts. The physical properties, such as water absorption, apparent density, crushing index, slump and compressive strength of the recycled aggregate and the recycled concretes were tested, and the tests for the compression-deformation behavior of the concretes were also performed. The experimental results show that the cement-Kim powder grout is satisfied for enhancing the recycled concrete, and the modification of the recycled aggregate with the grouts can improve the toughness and the deformation ability of the concretes.

Iron Mobilization and Mineralogical Alterations Induced by Iron-Deficient Cucumber Plants (Cucumis sativus L.) in a Calcareous Soil

Dicotyledons cope with ion(Fe) shortage by releasing low-molecular-weight organic compounds into the rhizosphere to mobilize Fe through reduction and complexation mechanisms. The effects induced by these root exudates on soil mineralogy and the connections between Fe mobilization and mineral weathering processes have not been completely clarified. In a batch experiment, we tested two different kinds of organic compounds commonly exuded by Fe-deficient plants, i.e., three organic acids(citrate, malate, and oxalate)and three flavonoids(rutin, quercetin, and genistein), alone or in combination, for their ability to mobilize Fe from a calcareous soil and modify its mineralogy. The effect of root exudates on soil mineralogy was assessed in vivo by cultivating Fe-deficient and Fe-sufficient cucumber plants(Cucumis sativus L.) in a RHIZOtest device. Mineralogical analyses were performed by X-ray powder diffraction. The batch experiment showed that citrate and, particularly, rutin(alone or combined with organic acids or genistein)promoted Fe mobilization from the soil. The combinations of rutin and organic acids modified the soil mineralogy by dissolving the amorphous fractions and promoting the formation of illite. These mineralogical alterations were significantly correlated with the amount of Fe mobilized from the soil. The RHIZOtest experiment revealed a drastic dissolution of amorphous components in the rhizosphere soil of Fe-deficient plants, possibly caused by the intense release of phenolics, amino acids, and organic acids, but without any formation of illite. Both batch and RHIZOtest experiments proved that exudates released by cucumber under Fe deficiency concurred to the rapid modification(on a day-scale) of the mineralogy of a calcareous soil.