Study on Cr(VI) Leaching from Cement and Cement Composites

This paper reports an experimental study on hexavalent chromium leaching from cement samples and cement composites containing silica fume and zeolite additions that were subjected to various leaching agents. The water-soluble Cr(VI) concentrations in cements ranged from 0.2 to 3.2 mg/kg and represented only 1.8% of the total chromium content. The presence of chromium compounds with both chromium oxidation states of III and VI was detected in the cement samples by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Leaching tests were performed in a Britton-Robinson buffer to simulate natural conditions and showed increased dissolution of Cr(VI) up to 6 mg/kg. The highest amount of leached hexavalent chromium was detected after leaching in HCl. The findings revealed that the leaching of chromium from cements was higher by 55–80% than that from the cement composites. A minimum concentration was observed for all cement samples when studying the relationship between the soluble Cr(VI) and the cement storage time

The study of concrete properties prepared with a proportion of fly ash

The current annual worldwide production of by-products is estimated about 700 million tons of which 70 % is fly ash at least. Large quantities of fly ash are available at low costs around the world and its use in concrete seems to offer the best solution to reduce its consumption. With regard to these facts and Slovak needs, the chemical and mechanical properties of hardened concrete composites with various share of fly ash were studied. Other focus of this study is the investigation of the influence of different chemical admixtures on development of the concrete properties, their environmental and economic impacts