Dry Mix Slag—High-Calcium Fly Ash Binder. Part Two: Durability

This work investigates durability of cement-free mortars with a binder comprised of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) activated by high-calcium fly ash (HCFA) and sodium carbonate (Na2CO3): the soundness, sulfate resistance, alkali-silica reactivity and efflorescence factors are considered. Results of tests show that such mortars are resistant to alkali-silica expansion. Mortars are also sulfate-resistant when the amount of HCFA in the complex binder is within a limit of 10 wt%. The fineness of fly ash determines its’ ability to activate GGBFS hydration, and influence soundness of the binder, early strength development, sulfate resistance and efflorescence behavior. The present article is a continuation of authors’ work, previously published in MSA, Vol. 14, 240-254.

Effect of Nano Silica on Hydration and Microstructure Characteristics of Cement High Volume Fly Ash System Under Steam Curing

The influences of nano silica (NS) on the hydration and microstructure development of steam cured cement high volume fly ash (40 wt%, CHVFA) system were investigated. The compressive strength of mortars was tested with different NS dosage from 0 to 4%. Results show that the compressive strength is dramatically improved with the increase of NS content up to 3%, and decreases with further increase of NS content (e g, at 4%). Then X?ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry-thermogravimetry (DSCTG), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS), mercury intrusion porosimeter (MIP) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were used to analyze the mechanism. The results reveal that the addition of NS accelerates the hydration of cement and fly ash, decreases the porosity and the content of calcium hydroxide (CH) and increases the polymerization degree of C-S-H thus enhancing the compressive strength of mortars. The interfacial transition zone (ITZ) of CHVFA mortars is also significantly improved by the addition ofNS, embodying in the decrease of Ca/Si ratio and CH enrichment of ITZ.

Complex Processing of Pulverized Fly Ash by Dry Separation Methods

Pulverized fly ash (PFA) is produced about 500 billions tons every year in the world in a result of coals combustion. Most of the fly ash collected in power plants is disposed by deposition in landfills, situated as a rule near big cities with well developed infrastructure and high cost of land. Moreover, the pollution of environmental by fine solid wastes is inevitable and takes place in area of residing of a basic part of the population. The only solution is a complex processing of fine wastes with a production of value added materials. New conception of complex processing of PFA is proposed on the base of facilities of Electro-mass-classifier (EMC) and other techniques. The characterization of separated fractions was carried out by SEM and optic microscopy, XRD, laser diffraction, M?ssbauer spectroscopy and other methods. A fine fraction of glass microspheres presents the main interest as filler in various materials.

Effects of Syngas Particulate Fly Ash Deposition on the Mechanical Properties of Thermal Barrier Coatings on Simulated Film-Cooled Turbine Vane Components

Research is being conducted to study the effects of particulate deposition from contaminants in coal synthesis gas (syngas) on the mechanical properties of thermal barrier coatings (TBC) employed on integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) turbine hot section airfoils. West Virginia University (WVU) had been working with US Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to simulate deposition on the pressure side of an IGCC turbine first stage vane. To model the deposition, coal fly ash was injected into the flow of a combustor facility and deposited onto TBC coated, angled film-cooled test articles in a high pressure (approximately 4 atm) and a high temperature (1560 K) environment. To investigate the interaction between the deposition and the TBC, a load-based multiple-partial unloading micro-indentation technique was used to quantitatively evaluate the mechanical properties of materials. The indentation results showed the Young’s Modulus of the ceramic top coat was higher in areas with deposition formation due to the penetration of the fly ash. This corresponds with the reduction of strain tolerance of the 7% yttria-stabilized zirconia (7YSZ) coatings.

Tests on Alkali-Activated Slag Foamed Concrete with Various Water-Binder Ratios and Substitution Levels of Fly Ash

To provide basic data for the reasonable mixing design of the alkali-activated (AA) foamed concrete as a thermal insulation material for a floor heating system, 9 concrete mixes with a targeted dry density less than 400 kg/m3 were tested. Ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) as a source material was activated by the following two types of alkali activators: 10% Ca(OH)2 and 4% Mg(NO3)2, and 2.5% Ca(OH)2 and 6.5% Na2SiO3. The main test parameters were water-to-binder (W/B) ratio and the substitution level (RFA) of fly ash (FA) for GGBS. Test results revealed that the dry density of AA GGBS foamed concrete was independent of the W/B ratio an RFA, whereas the compressive strength increased with the decrease in W/B ratio and with the increase in RFA up to 15%, beyond which it decreased. With the increase in the W/B ratio, the amount of macro capillaries and artificial air pores increased, which resulted in the decrease of compressive strength. The magnitude of the environmental loads of the AA GGBS foamed concrete is independent of the W/B ratio and RFA. The largest reduction percentage was found in the photochemical oxidation potential, being more than 99%. The reduction percentage was 87% - 93% for the global warming potential, 81% - 84% for abiotic depletion, 79% - 84% for acidification potential, 77% - 85% for eutrophication potential, and 73% - 83% for human toxicity potential. Ultimately, this study proved that the developed AA GGBS foamed concrete has a considerable promise as a sustainable construction material for nonstructural element.

Identification, Quantification and <i>In-Vitro</i>Genotoxicity of Major Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons Produced by Sugarcane Fly Ash Emitted from Sugarmill

Sugarcane burning during harvest and non-harvest season emits various pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), alkanes, and PAHs (Polyaromatic hydrocarbons) in the surrounding environment. Among these pollutants, PAHs are of uttermost concern due to their high level of toxicity. Burning of sugarcane bagase in sugar mill results in the production of fly ash. Fly ash is produced as a result of sugarcane bagasse burning in sugar mills. In present study, fly ash that comes out from the sugar mill chimney was collected from Western Uttar Pradesh, India and used for further analysis. High temperature and incomplete combustion inside chimney lead to the formation of PAHs. Extraction of PAHs present in fly ash samples was done by ultrasonication method and was identified with GC-FID (gas chromatography-flame ionization detector). Results exhibit the presence of eight PAHs in fly ash samples where the Benzo(a)pyrene and Naphthalene were found to be in high concentration. Furthermore, we have evaluated toxic effects of fly ash and Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (Standard of BaP & Nap) through different methods i.e. MTT, ROS and comet assay. Significant reduction (p < 0.001) in cell viability was noted in cells treated with fly ash as compared to control. Fly ash samples were also found to induce significant oxidative stress in HeLa cells, which ultimately causes DNA damage. Therefore, it may be concluded that the fly ash samples are toxic to the environment due to the presence of PAHs. Hence, the present study plays an important role in determining the harmful effects of PAHs and their source of occurrence.

Investigation on mechanical properties of aluminium 7075-boron carbide-coconut shell fly ash reinforced hybrid metal matrix composites

The present research work reports the fabrication and evaluation of the mechanical properties of hybrid aluminium matrix composites(HAMC). Aluminium 7075(Al7075) alloy was reinforced with particles of boron carbide(B_4 C) and coconut shell fly ash(CSFA). Al7075 matrix composites were fabricated by stir casting method. The samples of Al7075 HAMC were fabricated with different weight percentages of(0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 wt.%) B_4 C and 3 wt.% of CSFA. The mechanical properties discussed in this work are hardness, tensile strength, and impact strength. Hardness of the composites increased 33% by reinforcements of 12 wt.% B_4 C and 3 wt.% CSFA in aluminium 7075 alloy. The tensile strength of the composites increased 66% by the addition of 9 wt.% B_4 C and 3 wt.% CSFA in aluminium 7075 alloy. Further addition of reinforcements decreased the tensile strength of the composites. Elongation of the composites decreased while increasing B_4 C and CSFA reinforcements in the matrix. The impact energy of the composites increased up to 2.3 J with 9 wt.% B_4 C and 3 wt.% CSFA addition in aluminium alloy. Further addition of reinforcement decreased the impact strength of the composites. The optical micrographs disclosed the homogeneous distribution of reinforcement particles(B_4 C and CSFA) in Al7075 matrix. The homogeneously distributed B_4 C and CSFA particles added as reinforcement in the Al7075 alloy contributed to the improvement of hardness, tensile strength, and impact strength of the composites.

Microstructural Degradation of Thermal Barrier Coatings on an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) Simulated Film-Cooled Turbine Vane Pressure Surface Due to Particulate Fly Ash Deposition

Research is being conducted to study the degradation of thermal barrier coatings (TBC) employed on IGCC turbine hot section airfoils due to particulate deposition from contaminants in coal syn-thesis gas (syngas). West Virginia University (WVU) had been working with US Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to simulate deposition on the pressure side of an IGCC turbine first stage vane. To simulate the contaminant deposition, several TBC coated, angled film-cooled test articles were subjected to accelerated coal fly ash, which was injected into the flow of a combustor facility with a high pressure (approximately 4 atm) and a high temperature (1560 K) environment. To investigate the degradation of the TBCs due to particulate deposition, non-destructive tests were performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) evaluation and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) examinations. The SEM evaluation was used to display the microstructure change within the layers of the TBC system directly related to the fly ash deposition. The SEM micrographs showed that deposition-TBC interaction made the YSZ coating more susceptible to delamination and promoted a dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism that changed the YSZ morphology and composition. The EDS examination provided elemental maps of the shallow infiltration depth of the fly ash and chemical composition spectrum results which showed yttria migration from the YSZ into the deposition.

Effects of key factors of rotary triboelectrostatic separator on efficiency of fly ash decarbonization

On the basis of understanding the principle of rotary triboelectrostatic separation, dynamic analysis of charged fly ash particles aimed at determining the key factors and separation experiments to improve decarbonization efficiency had been carried out Variables of electrode plate voltage and corrected wind speed are the key factors which affect the decarbonization efficiency on the separation of fly ash, The results of separation experiments show that:(1) With the plate voltage increasing, the efficiency of decarbonization continuously rises and in its selected range, the optimal voltage level is 45 KV;(2) The corrected wind speed can impact the efficiency of decarbonization significantly: with the speed increasing, the efficiency of decarbonization shows a trend of first decline, then increase and decrease again, and in its selected range, the optimal speed is 2.0 m/s. This study is of significance for the improvement of rotary triboelectrostatic separation performance and its decarbonization separation efficiency.

Geological behavior of wet outflow deposition fly ash

The geological behaviors of wet outflow deposition fly ash were investigated, including the feature of in-situ single and even bridge cone penetration test (CPT) curves, the change of the penetration parameters and vane strength with the increase of depth and the difference of the penetration resistance on and down the water level. Drilling, CPT and vane shear test were carried out in silty clay, fine sand, and fly ash of the ash-dam. The CPT curves of the fly ash do not show a critical depth. The cone resistance (qc) of the fly ash is smaller than that of silty clay or sand; the friction resistance is smaller than that of filling silty clay, similar to that of deposition silty clay or more than that of fine sand; the friction ratio is smaller than that of filling silty clay, or more than that of deposition silty clay or much more than that of fine sand. The specific penetration resistance (ps) is similar to that of filling silty clay, or more than that of deposition silty clay. There is a clear interface effect between the deposition fly ash and the clay. Interface effect of ps-h curve at the groundwater table is clear, and ps of the fly ash reduces significantly under the table. The vane strength of the fly ash increases as the depth increases. The deposition fly ash with wet outflow is similar to silt in the geological behavior.

Experimental Study on the Radiative Properties of Fly Ash in the Radiant Syngas Cooler of Gasifier

Radiant syngas cooler (RSC) is the key heat recovery equipment in coal gasification system. The syngas from gasifier carries large amount of slags in which the mass fraction of fly ash less than 100 μm is about 20%. Studying the optical properties of fly ash has high significance for the optimization of heat transfer calculation in RSC. A new experimental method was proposed to inversely calculate the radiative parameters of particles—“KBr transmittance-reflectance method”. By measuring the “directional-hemispherical” reflectance and transmittance of fly ash particles by FTIR under the wavelength range of 0.55 - 1.65 μm, using the four-flux model to solve the radiative transfer equation and combing with Mie theory, the absorption and scattering efficiency of 22.7 μm fly ash and optical constant (also known as complex refractive index, m = n + ik) of fly ash were inversely calculated. The results indicated that for fly ash with large size parameter, there was no obvious change of the absorption and scattering efficiency when the mass fraction of Fe2O3 was between 5.65% and 16.53%, which was well explained by Mie theory;The obtained optical constant was close to the results of KBr trans-mittance method.

Hydration Kinetics of Municipal Solid Wastes Incineration(MSWI) Fly Ash-Cement

Hydration heat behavior and kinetics of blended cement containing up to 20% MSWI fly ash were investigated based on its hydration heat evolution rate measured by isothermal calorimeter. Kinetics parameters, N and K, and hydration degree, Ca(OH)2 content, were also calculated and analyzed. According to the experimental results, the induction period was elongated, the second heat evolution peak was in advance, and the third hydration heat peak could be detected due to MSWI fly ash pozzolanic reaction. The hydration reaction rate was controlled by nucleation kinetics in the acceleration period and then by diffusion in the decay period, but in the deceleration period, the hydration experienced a dual controlling reaction of autocatalytic chemical reaction and diffusion. The hydration rate of blended cement was faster. Ca(OH)2 content increased before 14 days.

Dissolution of Rare Earth Elements from Coal Fly Ash Particles in a Dilute H₂SO₄Solvent

Recently, the worldwide supply of rare earth element (REE) resources will be severely restricted. On the other hand, coal fly ash particles emitted from coal-fired electric power plants contain relatively high concentrations of REEs. The contents of REEs in coal fly ash are regularly several hundreds of ppmw. In order to extract and recover REEs from coal fly ash particles, as a first step, we have investigated their dissolution behavior in a dilute H2SO4 solvent. The REE content of coal fly ash specimens has been precisely determined, and their presence in the ash component of the original coal and their enrichment in coal fly ash particles during coal combustion have been suggested. REEs in coal fly ash dissolve gradually in H2SO4 over time, and this implies two types of occurrences of the REEs in coal fly ash particles. By applying the unreacted core model to the dissolution behavior of REEs in a H2SO4 solvent, we can explain both types of occurrences.

Accelerated Carbonation Assessment of High-Volume Fly Ash Concrete

The issue of concrete carbonation has gained importance in recent years due to the increase use in supplementary cementing materials (SCMs) in concrete mixtures. While there is general agreement that concrete carbonation progresses at maximum at a relative humidity of about 60%, the rate may differ in the case of cements blended with SCMs, especially with high-volume fly ash replacements. In this study, the effect of high-volume fly ash concrete exposed to low ambient relative humidity (RH) conditions (57%) and accelerated carbonation (4% CO2) is investigated. Twenty-three concrete mixtures were produced varying in cementitious contents (310, 340, 370, and 400 kg/m3), water-to-cementitious materials ratio (0.45 and 0.50), and fly ash content (0%, 15%, 30%, and 50%) using a low and high-calcium fly ash. The specimens were allowed 1 and 7 days of moist curing and monitored for their carbonation rate and depth through phenolphthalein measurements up to 105 days of exposure. The accelerated carbonation test results indicated that increasing the addition of fly ash also led to increasing the depth of carbonation. Mixtures incorporating high-calcium fly ash were also observed to be more resistant against carbonation than low-calcium fly ash due to the higher calcium oxide (CaO) content. However, mixtures incorporating high-volume additions (50%) specimens were fully carbonated regardless of the type of fly ash used. It was evident that the increase in the duration of moist curing from 1 day to 7 days had a positive effect, reducing the carbonation depth for both plain and blended fly ash concrete mixes, however, this effect was minimal in high-volume fly ash mixtures. The results demonstrated that the water-to-cementitious ratio (W/CM) had a more dramatic impact on carbonation resistance than the curing age for mixtures incorporating 30% or less fly ash replacement, whereas those mixtures incorporating 50% showed minor differences regardless of curing age or W/CM. Based on the compressive strength results, carbonation depth appeared to decrease with increase in compressive strength, but this correlation was not significant.

Comparative Analysis of Rigid PVC Foam Reinforced with Class C and Class F Fly Ash

Fly ash particles are usually spherical and based on their chemical composition;they are categorized into two classes: C and F. This study compares the microstructural, mechanical and thermal properties of extruded rigid PVC foam composites reinforced with class C and class F fly ash. The mechanical properties: such as tensile and flexural strength of composites containing class C fly ash were superior to the composites containing class F fly ash particles. Composites containing 6 phr class C fly ash showed a 24% improvement in the tensile strength in comparison to a mere 0.5% increase in composites reinforced with class F fly ash. Similarly, the addition of 6 phr of class F fly ash to the PVC foam matrix resulted in a 5.74% decrease in the flexural strength, while incorporating the same amount of class C fly ash led to a 95% increase in flexural strength. The impact strength of the composites decreased as the amount of either type of fly ash increased in the composites indicating that fly ash particles improve the rigidity of the PVC foam composites. No significant changes were observed in the thermal properties of the composites containing either type of fly ash particles. However, the thermo-mechanical properties measured by DMA indicated a steep increase in the viscoelastic properties of composites reinforced with class C flyash. The microstructural properties studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) confirmed that fly ash particles were mechanically interlocked in the PVC matrix with good interfacial interaction with the matrix. However, particle agglomeration and debonding was observed in composites reinforced with higher amounts of fly ash.

Application of Fly Ash and Organic Material as Dry Cover System in Prevention of Acid Mine Drainage Generation

The common practice in AMD prevention is a dry cover technique. In this technique, rock that is potential in producing acidity (PAF) will be placed below non-acid producing rock (NAF). Depends on NAF availability in the mine site situation, organic covers can be used to prevent diffusion of oxygen into reactive sulphide wastes and subsequently to eliminate sulphide compounds oxidation and generation of acidic waters. The utilization of additional material cover layer is proposed, by using fly ash and organic material combination. To investigate the possibility of using these materials, a column leaching test in the laboratory scale was conducted with several scenarios of simulation. By comparing between column with different thickness of fly ash and organic material, the leachate water behavior is observed in the experiment, including the measurement of water quality (pH and EC), major cations-anions. The result suggests the possible thickness of fly ash (FA) and organic material (OM) as cover layer material, especially in the case of mine with domination of PAF rock material.

Effect of fly ash content and grit size on mechanical and tribological properties of PVC composites

The polyvinyl chloride (PVC) composites containing fly ash of various grit sizes and contents were prepared by hot pressing. The hardness, impact strength of the composites were measured, and their friction and wear properties under dry and water lubrication sliding against quenched AISI-1045 steel were evaluated on an MM-200 tester. The fractograph of impact specimens, worn surfaces of the composites and their transfer films on the counterpart steel surfaces were observed with a scanning electron microscope and an optical microscope. Experimental results show that the composites containing 50% 74147μm fly ash have the highest hardness, highest impact strength and smallest wear rate. The wear rate of the composite is reduced by over two orders of magnitude. However, the composite containing over 50% fly ash has decreased wear-resistance, which is attributed to the weakened interaction between the filler and the polymer matrix in the presence of inadequate polymer matrix. The improved wear-resistance of the composite under dry sliding against the steel is attributed to the formation of the composite transfer film thereon.

Enhanced strength in novel nanocomposites prepared by reinforcing graphene in red soil and fly ash bricks

Low-dimensional nanomaterials such as graphene can be used as a reinforcing agent in building materials to enhance the strength and durability. Common building materials burnt red soil bricks and fly ash bricks were reinforced with various amounts of graphene, and the effect of graphene on the strength of these newly developed nanocomposites was studied. The fly ash brick nanocomposite samples were cured as per their standard curing time, and the burnt red soil brick nanocomposite samples were merely dried in the sun instead of being subjected to the traditional heat treatment for days to achieve sufficient strength. The water absorption ability of the fly ash bricks was also discussed. The compressive strength of all of the graphene-reinforced nanocomposite samples was tested, along with that of some standard (without graphene) composite samples with the same dimensions, to evaluate the effects of the addition of various amounts of graphene on the compressive strength of the bricks.

Investigation of the medium calcium based non-burnt brick made by red mud and fly ash: durability and hydration characteristics

Red mud is a type of highly alkaline waste residue produced in the process of alumina smelting by the Bayer process.Based on the idea of medium calcium content,solid wastes such as red mud and fly ash were used to prepare non-burnt bricks;and the mass ratio of CaO/SiO2 was selected in the range of 0.88–1.42.Mechanical properties and durability were investigated with a compressive strength test.X-ray diffractometry(XRD),scanning electron microscope(SEM),and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)techniques were used to characterize the hydration characteristic.The environmental performance was analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry(ICP).The results indicated that the mechanical properties and the durability were optimal when the mass ratio of CaO/SiO2 was 1.23.The hydration products were mostly C–S–H gel,ettringite,Na4Ca(Si10All6)O32·12H2O and Ca3Al2(SiO4)(OH)8.They were responsible for the strength development,and the CaO/SiO2 mass ratio of 1.23 had the best polymerized structure.The results of an environmental performance test showed that the heavy metals in the raw materials were well-solidified in the brick.Therefore,this paper provides an effective solution for use of solid wastes in building material.

From Hydration to Strength Properties of Fly Ash Based Mortar

Fly ash (FA) is important alternative or supplement to cement to reduce the environmental impact of concrete industry. However, early age strength development of FA is a concern due to the slower reaction rate of FA compared to cement. This paper examines the early age hydration properties of cement paste containing typical Australian FA and establishes correlations between the degree of hydration and the early-age strength development properties of mortar mixes. All mixes have the same mixture proportion of water to binder (w:b) ratio. FA sourced from different power plants are used for the tests. Cement replacement levels of 0%, 10%, 30% and 40% by mass are considered. The degree of hydration was established from the heat production of the mixes by using isothermal calorimetry. The hydration properties were characterized by hydration curve parameters obtained from curve fitting. The results show that both hydration rate and strength of the binder materials (FA and cement) were reduced with higher replacement levels of FA contributing to a reduced hydration rate at early ages. Linear relationship could be obtained between degree of hydration and strength at early ages for all the fly ash binders.