An insight : studies of atomic and molecular adsorption on Co(0001)

This thesis deals with the adsorption of selected atoms and molecules on a well defined single crystal cobalt surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to identify different adsorption sites and coverages. Work function measurements have been utilized to monitor the strength of the interaction between adsorbed species and cobalt substrate. Thermal desorption spectroscopy has identified the desorption products and has given information on the activation energies for desorption. By means of low energy electron diffraction measurements the adsorbate unit cell and, by utilizing I-V curve analysis, the atomic positions have been determined. Adsorption processes are important, e.g. in catalytic reactions, therefore studying adsorption and desorption of atoms and molecules on a well-defined surface can give useful insight information on reactions and how these reactions might be influenced. We have studied a selection of important atoms and molecules on a Co(0001) surface. Deuterium has been extensively studied as single adsorbate as well as in coadsorption with carbon monoxide and sulfur. Methanol adsorption and O-H bond scission has been an important topic of this thesis. Benzene adsorption has been determined at length, as a single component including I-V curve analysis and DFT calculations, as well as coadsorbed with carbon monoxide. Sulfur, a common unwanted component in a variety of processes like, e.g. crude oil refinery, was investigated as single adsorbate as well as coadsorbed with carbon monoxide.reviewe

Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes and Nanofibers on Silica and Cement Matrix Materials

In order to create strong composite materials, a good dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nanofibers (CNFs) in a matrix material must be obtained. We proposed a simple method of growing the desirable carbon nanomaterial directly on the surface of matrix particles. CNTs and CNFs were synthesised on the surface of model object, silica fume particles impregnated by iron salt, and directly on pristine cement particles, naturally containing iron oxide. Acetylene was successfully utilised as a carbon source in the temperature range from 550 to 750 C. 5–10 walled CNTs with diameters of 10–15 nm at 600 C and 12–20 nm at 750 C were synthesised on silica particles. In case of cement particles, mainly CNFs with a diameter of around 30 nm were grown. It was shown that high temperatures caused chemical and physical transformation of cement particles.Peer reviewe

A novel cement-based hybrid material

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are known to possess exceptional tensile strength, elastic modulus and electrical and thermal conductivity. They are promising candidates for the next-generation high-performance structural and multi-functional composite materials. However, one of the largest obstacles to creating strong, electrically or thermally conductive CNT/CNF composites is the difficulty of getting a good dispersion of the carbon nanomaterials in a matrix. Typically, time-consuming steps of purification and functionalization of the carbon nanomaterial are required. We propose a new approach to grow CNTs/CNFs directly on the surface of matrix particles. As the matrix we selected cement, the most important construction material. We synthesized in a simple one-step process a novel cement hybrid material (CHM), wherein CNTs and CNFs are attached to the cement particles. The CHM has been proven to increase 2 times the compressive strength and 40 times the electrical conductivity of the hardened paste, i.e. concrete without sand.Peer reviewe

Optimization of the Process Parameters Controlling the Degree of Amorphization during Mechanical Activation of Clay Using the Taguchi Method

Mechanical activation in a planetary ball mill (BM) is an environmentally friendly process able to enhance the chemical and pozzolanic activity of natural clays. Those materials can be used as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) to partially replace Portland cement in concrete. The process parameters of the BM are directly related to the degree of amorphization and thus to the enhancement of the chemical activity. Design of experiments (DOE) is a well-known statistical tool, which can assist in selecting optimized conditions and in obtaining systematic data. However, full factorial design requires a large number of experiment. Taguchi method is based on the use of an Orthogonal Array (OA) to evaluate optimization of the selected factors but with less required experiments. In this study, three factors, each on 2 levels, were selected: ball to powder ratio (B/P) with level 3 and 25, time of grinding with level 5 and 20, and water to powder ratio (W/P) with level 0 and 1. The degree of amorphization (DOA) was selected as the main response for the Taguchi method. DOA was calculated as the ratio between the integral intensities of the main peak of the kaolinite [001] before and after grinding. For dry grinding, the predicted optimized value of DOA complied with the experimental results. Maximized DOA value was achieved for B/P equal to 25 and the grinding duration of 20. This method can be a valuable tool to predict the amorphization degree of minerals present in the natural clay, leading to the optimization of the mechanical activation process

Bond Strength between Glass Fiber Fabrics and Low Water-to-Binder Ratio Mortar

Full utilization of mechanical properties of glass fiber fabric-reinforced cement composites is very limited due to a low bond strength between fibers and the binder matrix. An experimental setup was developed and evaluated to correlate the mortar penetration depth with several key parameters. The studied parameters included fresh mortar properties, compressive and flexural strengths of mortar, the fabric/mortar bond strength, fabric pullout strength, and a single-lap shear strength. Results showed that an average penetration of mortar did not exceed 100 mu m even at a higher water-to-binder ratio. The maximum particle size of the used fillers should be below an average spacing of single glass fibers, which in this case was less than 20 mu m to avoid the sieving effect, preventing effective penetration. The pullout strength was strongly affected by the penetration depth, while the single-lap shear strength was also additionally affected by the mechanical properties of the mortar.Peer reviewe

Effects of fineness and chemical composition of blast furnace slag on properties of alkali-activated binder

Abstract: The effects of fines and chemical composition of three types of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) on various concrete properties were studied. Those studied were alkali activated by liquid sodium silicate (SS) and sodium carbonate (SC). Flowability, setting times, compressive strength, efflorescence, and carbonation resistance and shrinkage were tested. The chemical composition and microstructure of the solidified matrixes were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with EDX analyser. The results showed that the particle size distribution of the slags and the activator type had significantly stronger effects on all measured properties than their chemical composition. The highest compressive strength values were obtained for the finest slag, which having also the lowest MgO content. SC-activated mortar produced nearly the same compressive strength values independently of the used slag. The most intensive efflorescence and the lowest carbonation resistance developed on mortars based on slag containing 12% of MgO and the lowest fineness. The slag with the highest specific surface area and the lowest MgO content developed a homogenous microstructure, highest reaction temperature and lowest drying shrinkage. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated the presence of C-(A)-S-H, hydrotalcite HT, and carbonate like-phases in all studied mortars.Validerad;2019;Nivå 2;2019-10-28 (johcin)</p

Mechanochemical activation of natural clay minerals : an alternative to produce sustainable cementitious binders – review

Mechanochemical activation can be defined as a process able to induce structural disorder through intensive grinding. In certain conditions, it may increase the chemical reactivity of the processed material. The process is extensively utilized in extractive metallurgy, synthesis of nanocomposites or pharmacology. It is also considered an environmentally friendly alternative to activate kaolinitic clay avoiding high calcination temperature. This paper aims to give a comprehensive overview of the process, its evolution, process parameters and applications. The paper focuses on the mechanochemical treatment of natural clay minerals, aiming at their transformation into cementitious or pozzolanic materials. It provides a summarized review of the theories related to the mechanochemistry and discusses commonly used models. The paper also analyzes various key factors and parameters controlling the mechanochemical activation process. The optimization and control of the several factors, as the filling ratio, the grinding media, the velocity, the time of grinding, etc., can promote developments and new research opportunities on different fields of application. Examples of applications, with a special focus on mechanochemically activated clay minerals and their use as cementitious binders, are listed as well.Validerad;2019;Nivå 2;2019-07-12 (johcin)</p

A Review of the Mechanical Properties and Durability of Ecological Concretes in a Cold Climate in Comparison to Standard Ordinary Portland Cement-Based Concrete

Most of the currently used concretes are based on ordinary Portland cement (OPC) which results in a high carbon dioxide footprint and thus has a negative environmental impact. Replacing OPCs, partially or fully by ecological binders, i.e., supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) or alternative binders, aims to decrease the carbon dioxide footprint. Both solutions introduced a number of technological problems, including their performance, when exposed to low, subfreezing temperatures during casting operations and the hardening stage. This review indicates that the present knowledge enables the production of OPC-based concretes at temperatures as low as −10 °C, without the need of any additional measures such as, e.g., heating. Conversely, composite cements containing SCMs or alkali-activated binders (AACs) showed mixed performances, ranging from inferior to superior in comparison with OPC. Most concretes based on composite cements require pre/post heat curing or only a short exposure to sub-zero temperatures. At the same time, certain alkali-activated systems performed very well even at −20 °C without the need for additional curing. Chemical admixtures developed for OPC do not always perform well in other binder systems. This review showed that there is only a limited knowledge on how chemical admixtures work in ecological concretes at low temperatures and how to accelerate the hydration rate of composite cements containing high amounts of SCMs or AACs, when these are cured at subfreezing temperatures.Validerad;2020;Nivå 2;2020-08-17 (alebob)</p

Novel humidity sensors based on nanomodified Portland cement

Commonly used humidity sensors are based on metal oxides, polymers or carbon. Their sensing accuracy often deteriorates with time, especially when exposed to higher temperatures or very high humidity. An alternative solution based on the utilization of Portland cement-based mortars containing in-situ grown carbon nanofibers (CNFs) was evaluated in this study. The relationship between the electrical resistivity, CNF content and humidity were determined. The highest sensitivity was observed for samples containing 10 wt.% of the nanomodified cement which corresponded to 0.27 wt.% of CNFs. The highest calculated sensitivity was approximately 0.01024 per 1% change in relative humidity (RH). The measured electrical resistivity is a linear function of the RH in the humidity range between 11% and 97%. The percolation threshold value was estimated to be at around 7 wt.% of the nanomodified cement, corresponding to ~0.19 wt.% of CNFs.Validerad;2021;Nivå 2;2021-04-19 (alebob)</p