Sound Absorption Properties of Discarded Feathers/Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer Thermoplastic Composite Materials

The discarded feathers / ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer( EVA) thermoplastic composite materials was obtained with discarded feathers as reinforced material and EVA powders as matrix material by hot pressing method. Sound absorption properties were studied by changing mass ratio of discarded feathers and EVA,thickness of composite materials,hot pressing pressure and hot pressing temperature. It was found that the sound absorption properties of composite materials were good when the mass ratio of discarded feathers and EVA was 1: 1,thickness of composite materials was 30 mm,hot pressing pressure was 8 MPa,and hot pressing temperature was 80 ℃. Under the optimum conditions,the effect of composite density on sound absorption property was analyzed. In a certain range,the sound absorption property was enhanced with the decrease of the composite density.When the composite density was 0. 1g /cm^3, the maximum absorption coefficient was 0.96. Finally,the capillary theory was used to calculate the maximum sound absorption coefficient of discarded feathers / EVA thermoplastic composite materials. The good agreements of experimental results and calculated results proved the validity of the theoretical models.

NMR-based analysis of the effect of moisture migration on sandstone pore structure under alternating wetting and drying conditions

The wetting-drying(W-D)cycle is a type of water–rock interaction.The pore structure of rock,such as shape,size,distribution and pore throat,affects fluid storage and transport.Fractal theory and experimental research on the evolution characteristics of pore damage during the wet-dry erosion process are highly important for determining W-D damage.The mass and velocity of liquid migration are related to the pore size,porosity,fluid properties,etc.Experimental data show that the water absorption quality and velocity in rocks decrease with the number of wet-dry cycles.At the same test time,the mass and velocity of the SI water absorption method are smaller than those of the FI method.Under these two conditions,the amount and rate of water absorption represent the degree of water–rock interaction.Considering the pore evolution during the wet-dry cycling,an equation describing the motion of liquid in porous media was derived based on the imbibition-type separation model.The experimental data are in excellent agreement with the calculated values of the model.Permeability characteristics can affect the area and degree of rock deterioration as well as the development rate of pores and microcracks.Based on the interaction between permeability and pores,quantitative analysis of the weakening process(local damage)of rocks under W-D cycles can provide good reference indicators for evaluating the stability of geotechnical engineering.

Hygrothermal Properties of a Composite Based on Clay Soils and Diatomite

The purpose of this paper is to make a contribution to the use of diatomite as a mineral additive in the composition of compressed earth blocks. The aim is to study the influence of diatomite on the hygrothermal behaviour of composites based on clay soils. For this reason, two clay soils with different physicochemical and mineralogical compositions were incorporated with diatomite at percentages ranging from 5% to 50% with a step of 5 to produce compressed earth blocks. After assessing the hydric and thermal characteristics of the composites, it was found that the incorporation of diatomite into the clay matrix favours the absorption of water by capillary action for all the composites. The diatomite-amended blocks subjected to the rain erosion test were less eroded than the unamended blocks. In addition, BYD composites were found to be more resistant than BTD composites, due to the high percentage of clay in T soil. The thermal conductivity of the latter decreases respectively from 0.72 to 0.29 W/m∙K for BTD composites and from 0.52 to 0.21 W/m∙K for BYD composites. This reduction proves the thermal insulating properties of diatomite. Despite the high capillary absorption capacity of these composites, they have good thermal properties, enabling them to be used in the construction of buildings for improved indoor thermal comfort.

Long-term Durability of Cement-based Materials with Very Low w/b

To investigate the durability, especially the long-term stability of cement-based materials with very low w/b, the air permeability test, carbonation test, capillary absorption rate test and dilation potential test were adopted under long-term heat treatment condition. Microstructure of these materials is also analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy （SEM） and mercury intrusion porosimeter （MIP） in order to further unveil its mechanism and interrelation between microstructure and its properties. The results indicate that in the area investigated, cement-based material with w/b 0.17, like RPC, possesses low porosity and excellent durability. Moreover, its porosity will further decrease under long-term heat treatment compared with normal heat treatment. Its long-term durability is much superior to that of other cement-based materials with w/b 0.25 or 0.35 as high strength concrete（HSC）.

Corrosion Resistance and Physical-Mechanical Properties of Reinforced Mortars with and without Carbon Nanotubes

Following the evolution of currently enforced Performance Based Design standards of reinforced concrete (RC) structures for durability, the designer, rather than complying with given prescriptive limits, may instead specify a cementitious mix design that is proven to exhibit a code prescribed resistance level (class) to a given exposure environment. Such compliance will lead to the protection of the steel reinforcement from corrosion and the cementitious mortar from degradation, during the design lifespan of the structure, under aggressive environmental exposure conditions such as, marine or deicing salts and carbonation. In this context, the enhancement of the physical and durability properties of common cement-based mortars under chloride exposure are experimentally investigated herein. In particular, the experimental program reported herein aims to evaluate the influence of incorporating multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the physical and mechanical properties of reinforced mortars against chloride ions. Furthermore, the anticorrosion protection of cementitious composites prepared with nanomaterials at 0.2% w/w is further investigated, by comparing all test results against reference specimens prepared without any additive. Electrochemical (Half-cell potential, corrosion current) and mass loss of reinforcement steel measurements were performed, while the porosity, capillary absorption and flexural strength were measured to evaluate the mechanical and durability characteristics of the mortars, following a period of exposure of eleven months;SEM images coupled with EDX analysis were further recorded and used for microstructure observation. The test results indicate that the inclusion of the nanomaterials in the mix improved the durability of the mortar specimens, while the nano-modified composites exhibited higher chloride penetration resistance and flexural strength than the corresponding values of the reference mortars. The test results and the comparison between nanomodified and reference mortars showed that the use of CNTs as addition led to protection of steel reinforcing bars against pitting corrosion and a significant improvement in flexural strength and porosity of the mortars.

Effects of Curing Methods on the Permeability and Mechanism of Cover Concrete

Curing methods are one of the most important factors in determining the quality and compactness of cover concrete.The effect of curing methods on the water absorption and sorptivity coefficient of cover concrete with the substitution ratio of fly ash(FA)and ground granulated blast slag(GGBS)for cement between 30 wt%and 40 wt%was studied by capillary water absorption test.The vacuum saturation test and mercury intrusion test were employed to characterize these differences in the pore structure of cover concrete under different curing methods.With further analysis of the compactness of microstructure by SEM,the mechanism of the impact of curing methods on the permeability of cover concrete was revealed.The results obtained indicate that the effect of curing methods on the water absorption,sorptivity coefficient and porosity of cover concrete shows the trend of natural curing>cover curing>water curing>standard curing.It is also shown that reasonable curing is advantageous to reduce the porosity and permeability of cover concrete.In natural curing conditions,the appearance of porosity increasing and pore structure coarsening is more critical for covering concrete with mineral admixtures than for pure cement concrete.Therefore,the permeability of cover concrete with mineral admixtures is more sensitive to the early-age curing methods.

Effect of natural pozzolan content on the properties o engineered cementitious composites as repair material

In order to determine the effect of Natural Pozzolan （NP） content on the mechanical properties and durability characteristics on Engineered Cementitious Composites （ECC） as repair material. This study focused on the evaluation of the most factors influencing compatibility between the repair material and the base concrete including mechanicals properties such as, compressive and flexural strengths, elastic modulus, capillary absorption and drying shrinkage. The experimental results showed that natural pozzolan reduces the compressive strength and the flexuraI strength of ECC at all ages. The elastic modulus of ECC was remarkably lower than that of normal-strength concrete. This lower ~oung＇s modulus is desirable for repair concrete, because it prevents the stresses induced by restrained shrinkage. In addition, the incorporation of high-volume natural pozzolan decreases significantly the coefficient of capillary absorption at long term and increases the drying shrinkage. Generally, based on the results obtained in the present experimental investigation, ECC can be used effectively as an overlay material over existing parent concrete.