Microstructural Evolution Mechanism of C-(A)-S-H Gel in Portland Cement Pastes Affected by Sulfate Ions

The microstructural evolution of C-（A）-S-H gel in Portland cement pastes immersed in pure water and 5.0 wt% Na2SO4 solution for different ages was comparatively investigated, by means of ^（29） Si NMR spectroscopy, and SEM-EDS analysis. Additionally, molecular dynamics simulation was performed to study the aluminum coordination status and interaction of sulfate ions in C-（A）-S-H gel. The results showed significant changes in the microstructural evolution of C-（A）-S-H gel in Portland cement paste. Sulfate attack has decalcifying and dealuminizing effect on C-（A）-S-H gel which is evident from increase in mean chain length（MCL） and decrease in Ca/Si ＆ Al[4]/Si ratios of C-（A）-S-H gel. Additionally, Molecular dynamics simulation proves that Al[4] substituted in silicate chains of C-（A）-S-H gel is thermodynamically metastable, which may explain its migration from the silicate chains and transformation to Al[6], thus lowering the Al[4]/Si ratio of C-（A）-S-H gel. SO4^（2-）ions can carry the interfacial Ca^（2＋） ions into the pore solution by the diffusion-absorption-desorption process, which unravels the mechanism of sulfate attack on C-（A）-S-H gel.

Study on the friction and wear properties of the surface nanocrystallized 1.0C-1.5Cr steel induced by the surface mechanical attrition treatment

Nano-structured layers are fabricated on the surface of 1.0C-1.5Cr steel by using the surface mechanical attrition treatment(SMAT)technology,and the microstructures of the surface nano-crystallization layers are characterized by means of X-ray diffraction(XRD)and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).The friction and wear properties are also investigated by a UMT-2 friction and wear tester.Experimental research has indicated that the average diameter of nanocrystalline grains in the surface layer after being treated for 15 min is in the range of 10-20 nm,and ferrite and cementite grains can not be identified by their morphologies.The wear-resistance of the specimen treated for 15 min has been doubled,compared with that of the matrix due to the grain refinement to a nano-sized scale.The lowest friction coefficient is 0.27,which is for the specimen treated for 30 min,resulting from the dissolution of the cementite phase and the formation of a relative homogenous structure.The SMAT technique for enhancing the wear-resistance of the 1.0C-1.5Cr steel has an optimum processing time,which is in the range of 15-30 min.The dominant wear mechanism of the specimen treated for 15 min changes from adhesive wear into particle wear.