The electrical resistivity is an important concrete property that allows evaluating the access facility of aggressive agents before the corrosion process begins and estimates the velocity of the same process after it begun. The electrical resistivity and the oxygen availability are the characteristics that control the corrosion velocity. This work aimed to evaluate the performance of white Portland cement concretes with high blast furnace slag content and chemical activation on the electrical resistivity. Other properties were measured, as axial compressive strength, porosity and specific electrical conductivity of pore solution. Four mixtures were tested, a reference one, only with white Portland cement as binder, a second one, with 50% of blast furnace slag in substitution of cement, other with 70% slag content, and the last one, with 50% of slag and alkaline activation, 4% of Na2SO4. The water/binder ratios were fixed at 0,30, 0,42 and 0,55 for all samples. The electrical resistivity was measured using the four electrode method (Wenner method). The sample age, water/binder ratio and the slag content have an expressive effect over the electrical resistivity, especially because it results in changes of the pore structure. The electrical resistivity grows as the amount of slag increases. The increase of slag amount also results in smaller specific electrical conductivity of pore solution and pore structure refinement. On the other hand, the axial compressive strength decreases as the slag amount increases. The biggest resistivity results were obtained for the mixture with 70% of slag. This mixture showed the best cost/benefit ratio as compressive strength were fixed at 35 and 55 MPa, at 28 days, and 60 MPa, at 91 days. / A resistividade elétrica é uma importante propriedade do concreto por permitir avaliar a facilidade de acesso de agentes agressivos antes de instalado o processo corrosivo e estimar a velocidade do mesmo depois de instalado, sendo conjuntamente com a disponibilidade de oxigênio um dos parâmetros determinantes para a velocidade da corrosão. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o desempenho de concretos de cimento Portland branco com elevados teores de escória de alto forno e ativação química quanto à resistividade elétrica aparente. Foram avaliadas além da resistividade outras grandezas como resistência à compressão, porosidade e condutividade específica da solução dos poros. Foram investigadas quatro misturas, uma de referência contendo apenas cimento, uma segunda com teor de substituição de cimento por escória de 50%, outra com teor de substituição de 70% e uma última contendo 50% de escória e ativador alcalino, Na2SO4, em um teor de 4%. As relações água/aglomerante foram fixadas em 0,30, 0,42 e 0,55 para todas as misturas. A medida da resistividade elétrica foi realizada através do método dos quatro eletrodos (Wenner). A resistividade elétrica se mostrou dependente da idade, relação a/ag e teor de escória, principalmente, em função das alterações que estas proporcionam na estrutura de poros da pasta. A resistividade cresceu proporcionalmente ao aumento do teor de escória. O aumento do teor de escória resultou também em menor condutividade da solução aquosa e refinamento da estrutura de poros da pasta. Por outro lado, a resistência à compressão diminuiu com o crescimento do teor de escória. Os maiores valores de resistividade elétrica foram apresentados pela mistura contendo 70% de escória. Esta mistura se mostrou a de melhor relação custo/benefício quando se fixaram valores de resistência à compressão de 35 e 55 MPa, aos 28 dias, e 60 MPa, aos 91 dias.

Fossil fuel reserves are projected to be decreasing, and emission regulations are becoming more stringent due to increasing atmospheric pollution. Alternative fuels for power generation in industrial gas turbines are thus required able to meet the above demands. Examples of such fuels are synthetic gas, blast furnace gas and coke oven gas. A common characteristic of these fuels is that they are multi-component fuels, whose composition varies greatly depending on their production process. This implies that their combustion characteristics will also vary significantly. Thus, accurate and yet flexible enough combustion sub-models are required for such fuels, which are used during the design stage, to ensure optimum performance during practical operating conditions. Most combustion sub-model development and validation is based on Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) studies. DNS however is computationally expensive. This, has so far limited DNS to single-component fuels such as methane and hydrogen. Furthermore, the majority of DNS conducted to date used one-step chemistry in 3D, and skeletal chemistry in 2D only. The need for 3D DNS using skeletal chemistry is thus apparent. In this study, an accurate reduced chemical mechanism suitable for multi-component fuel-air combustion is developed from a skeletal mechanism. Three-dimensional DNS of a freely propagating turbulent premixed flame is then conducted using both mechanisms to shed some light into the flame structure and turbulence-scalar interaction of such multi-component fuel flames. It is found that for the multi-component fuel flame heat is released over a wider temperature range contrary to a methane flame. This, results from the presence of individual species reactions zones which do not all overlap. The performance of the reduced mechanism is also validated using the DNS data. Results suggest it to be a good substitute of the skeletal mechanism, resulting in significant time and memory savings. The flame markers commonly used to visualize heat release rate in laser diagnostics are found to be inadequate for the multi-component fuel flame, and alternative markers are proposed. Finally, some popular mean reaction rate closures are tested for the multi-component fuel flame. Significant differences are observed between the models’ performance at the highest turbulence level considered in this study. These arise from the chemical complexity of the fuel, and further parametric studies using skeletal chemistry DNS would be useful for the refinement of the models.

Alkali activated materials (AAMs) represent construction materials with a huge potential especially because of environmental and economic aspects but sufficient mechanical properties as well. A fibre or fabric reinforcement of the AAMs could support more widespread application potential due to the mechanical properties, fracture toughness or composite durability improvement. Various alkaline activators were used for a blast furnace slag (BFS) activation to produce a suitable matrix for basalt fibres (BF) implementation in this thesis. The BFs represent applicable reinforcing material because of its favourable mechanical and thermal properties. Still, the utilization of BFs in the AAMs is quite limited due to the fibres low chemical stability under the alkaline conditions. Accelerated leaching tests with a determination of basalt fibres chemical composition same as tensile strength change using various analytical techniques (XRD, XPS, SEM-EDX, ICP-OES) have confirmed these assumptions. An influence of basalt fabric reinforcement in one or more layers on the mechanical properties was determined with the meaning of the compressive and flexural strengths. The fibre/matrix adhesion and transition zone properties were studied using SEM-EDX and pull-out tests as well because they are crucial parameters for the composite material reinforcement efficiency.

V mnoha oborech jsou stále využívána anorganická filtrační media založená na materiálech, jejichž výroba využívá primární suroviny. Jejich výroba je tedy energeticky náročná a v důsledku nákladná a neohleduplná k životnímu prostředí. Cílem této práce je ověřit možnost využití alkalicky aktivovaných materiálů na bázi sekundárních surovin, především vysokopecních strusek (BFS) a popílků z uhelných elektráren (FA), pro výrobu porézních médií schopných v budoucnosti nahradit keramické a jiné anorganické filtry. Výzkum je rozvinut skrze experimentální design založený na výpočetním schématu samostatně vyvinutém s pomocí programu MATLAB. Toto schéma počítá vhodná složení směsí na základě poměrů obsahu nejdůležitějších oxidů ve vstupních surovinách. Tak je zajištěno zohlednění proměnlivého složení vstupních surovin a práce je tím hodnotnější, že její výsledky jsou skrze početní nástroj zohledňující základní oxidové složení surovin zobecnitelné. Zároveň byly však pro srovnání a lepší názornost závislostí vlastností na složení navrhnuty a připraveny i série vzorků založené vždy pouze na jedné ze surovin. Z výsledků vyplývá, že pevnost vzorků z těchto směsí (vytvrzených 24 hodin při 70 °C) ve čtyřbodové ohybové zkoušce dle ČSN EN 12390 5 může přesáhnout 7,6 MPa. Dosažením co možná nejvyšší porozity však zákonitě negativně ovlivňuje pevnost materiálu a výsledný materiál tedy dosahuje pevnosti těsně nad hranicí 6,3 MPa. Výsledky obecně dokazují, že nejvíce je pevnost materiálů ovlivněna poměrem SiO2/Al2O3 a množstvím alkalického aktivátoru. Z výsledků vyplývá, že alkalicky aktivované materiály (AAM) na bázi strusky dosahují i více než dvojnásobné pevnosti analogických materiálů na bázi elektrárenského popílku. Velikost pórů materiálů připravených z tříděných surovin s velikostí zrna od desítek po lehce přes sto mikronů se ve většině případů pohybuje v rozmezí desetin ž jednotek mikronů, v případě výsledného materiálu je to pak přibližně 0,2 mikronu. Celková porozita lisovaných těles se pohybuje těsně pod 40 %, což je v tomto případě téměř dvojnásobek ve srovnání s totožnými materiály na bázi netříděných surovin. Výsledky rovněž ukazují, že materiály na bázi strusky vykazují nižší porozitu než ty na bázi popílku, což je patrně způsobeno rozdílnou morfologií částic obou materiálů – částice strusky jsou nepravidelně hranaté a částice popílku kulaté. V průběhu experimentální činnosti byla pozorována tvorba výkvětů u materiálů na bázi elektrárenských popílků. Pomocí Energo-disperzní spektroskopické analýzy (EDS) byly výkvěty identifikovány jako hydroxid sodný procházející karbonatací za účasti vzdušného CO2. Test permeability vyžadoval, kvůli velmi jemné povaze porézní struktury, přípravu asymetrických filtračních přepážek. Tyto přepážky dosáhli propustnosti 138 L/h.m2.bar pro vodu a 1320 L/h.m2.bar pro vzduch.

This thesis concerns on substitution of blast furnace slag or its part with fly ash in alkali-activated systems based on aluminosilikates. Classic, fluid bottom and fluid filter fly ashes will be tested. The goal is to prepare geopolymer with required mechanical properties, but with maximal admixture of alternative raw materials. In composites with substitutioned slag or its part the thesis focuses mainly on workabilityof fresh mixture, pressure and bending strenght. Use of secondary raw materials has advantages in the economic point of view and it´s friendly to enviroment, too.

The aim of this Diploma thesis is design of steam boiler with steam reheating, for combustion the blast furnace gas. The fuel composition and primary parameters for calculation of the boiler were provided. In the first part the fuel composition is described. The main part of the thesis consists of stoichiometric calculations, establishing efficiency of the boiler, calculating combustion chamber as well as design and calculation individual heating surfaces. Part of the work is also drawing documentation of boiler.

Subject of this work is to design a batch of concrete with additives, which are to replace the cement of various doses so as to not adversely affect the properties of fresh and hardened concrete and simultaneously withstand the environment XF.

This thesis deals with the study and design of composite materials based on silica matrix suitable for extreme conditions, eg. for the repair of concrete structures with anticipated increased risk of fire. The theoretical part summarizes basic knowledge concerning the fire resistance of structures and the behavior of the composite system during extreme conditions. Theoretically oriented section also contains information on alkali-activated materials and their use in high temperature environments. Based on the evaluation of the theoretical part of the experiment were designed and tested different types of composite materials with increased content of raw materials from alternative sources. Laboratory research has been based on testing of basic physico-mechanical parameters including phase composition and microstructure of the proposed formulations before and after thermal exposure of 1200 ° C. Also considered was the effect of different cooling conditions.

L'objet des travaux réalisés dans cette thèse concerne la mise en oeuvre d'un éco-liant à base de co-produits industriels : une cendre volante papetière et un laitier moulu, pour la fabrication de mortiers secs. Cet éco-liant a été élaboré pour remplacer partiellement le ciment comme constituant de matériaux traditionnels d'une part, et recycler en grande quantité l'un des deux déchets industriels, la cendre volante papetière tout en intégrant les notions d'économie circulaire et d'éco-conception d'autre part. La littérature fait état de nombreux travaux sur les différents types de cendres et de laitiers mettant en avant les caractéristiques, la minéralogie, la réactivité de ces cendres volantes papetières et des laitiers moulus. Ces deux coproduits avec environ 20% de SiO2 et 50% de CaO (% pondéraux), ont une composition chimique très proche de celle d'un ciment et développent des propriétés pouzzolaniques qui peuvent suppléer celles du ciment. Leur valorisation comme matériau liant est alors envisageable. Une complète connaissance des propriétés physico-chimiques, structurelles et minéralogiques de la cendre volante papetière et du laitier moulu a conduit à une étude exploratoire de formulations. Des mélanges à partir de 72% de cendres volantes papetières et de 28% de laitier moulu ont été étudiés en se référantà la formulation de base d'un mortier pour en optimiser la teneur en eau et le niveau d'énergie de compactage. Un matériel spécifique pour compacter les éprouvettes prismatiques de dimensions 4x4x16cm3 de mortier a été utilisé. L'effet de l'ajout de trois types d'activateurs i.e. chlorure de calciumCaCl2, métasilicate de sodium Na2O3Si et carbonate de sodium Na2CO3, et d'une faible quantité deciment i.e. 5% et 10% a été analysé mettant en relation la résistance mécanique et la microstructure desmélanges. Deux formulations optimales ont fait l'objet d'analyses relatives à la minéralogie, auxrésistances mécaniques à 2, 7 et 28 jours de cure, à la microstructure avec des images MEB,distributions des pores et à la durabilité. Compte-tenu des résultats satisfaisants obtenus, une approcheà l'échelle semi-industrielle de fabrication de blocs 15x15x15 cm3 à partir des deux formulationsretenues a été menée et discutée. Les premiers résultats montrent un grand intérêt pour la fabricationde pavés et de produits dérivés pour l'aménagement de zones piétonnes ou à circulation réduite. / The aim of this thesis is the development of an eco-binder based on industrial co-products : a wastepapery ash and a ground granulated blast-furnace slag, for the manufacture of dry mortars. On the one hand,this eco-binder was developed to replace partially cement as a constituent of traditional materials, andon the other hand to recycle in large quantities one of these two industrial wastes ; wastepaper fly ashwith considering all the notions of circular economy and eco-design. From literature, there are numerousand relevant research works on the different types of ash and slag, highlighting the characteristics, themineralogy, the reactivity of the wastepaper fly ash and ground granulated blast-furnace slags in details.These two co-products with about 20 wt.% SiO2 and 50 wt.% CaO have a chemical composition veryclose to that of a cement and develop pozzolanic properties that can replace those of cement. Theirvalorization as a binder material is then possible. A complete knowledge of the physicochemical, structuraland mineralogical properties of wastepaper fly ash and ground granulated blast-furnace slag led to anexploratory study of formulations for dry mortars. The mixtures containing 72 wt.% of wastepaper fly ashand 28 wt.% of ground granulated blast-furnace slag were investigated with reference to the formulationof a standard mortar to optimize the water content and compaction energy level. A specific equipment forcompacting prismatic specimens with dimensions 4x4x16 cm3 was used. The effect of adding three types ofactivators i.e. calcium chloride CaCl2, sodium metasilicate Na2O3Si and sodium carbonate Na2CO3, anda small amount of cement i.e. 5 wt.% and 10 wt.% was analyzed. The relation between mechanical strengthand the microstructure of the mixtures has been detailed and discussed. Two optimal formulations wereimplemented and, mineralogy, mechanical strength at 2, 7 and 28 days of curing, microstructure withSEM images, pore distributions and durability have been considered and analyzed. Taking into accountthe satisfactory results obtained, a semi-industrial approach to manufacture 15x15x15 cm3 blocks fromthe two selected formulations was conducted and discussed. The first results show a great interest in themanufacture of blocks of pavement and derived products for the construction of pedestrian or reducedtraffic areas.

Increasing awareness of sustainability in the concrete industry forces structural design and executionto focus on avoiding costly and unpredictable maintenance action, instead paying higher attention todamage prevention by direct actions on early stages of production. One of such approaches, whichdeals with the problem of freezing and thawing deterioration, is intentional air bubble introductionto the concrete mix. However, the mechanism of air entrainment in concrete can be negativelyaffected on different stages of production by many factors including cement type, admixture dosage,casting conditions or mixing procedure. Therefore, reliable tools for the end-product evaluationought to be considered. The experimental study, presented in this work, focuses on understandingthe blast furnace slag (BFS) influence as well as admixtures’ dosage effect on pore structure ofhardened concrete. Three types of cement were evaluated, including ordinary portland cement(OPC) and two types of CEM III cements with different BFS percentage. The optimal amountsof air entraining agent (AEA) and super plasticizer (SP) were chosen and later reduced in orderto evaluate their impact on total air content, spacing factor and specific surface of the air voids.The main method chosen for this evaluation was the use of an office flat-bed scanner to acquireimages and application of BubbleCounter software for the analysis of the air void structure. Thisapproach is based on linear traverse method and requires special surface treatment for contrastenhancement. Specimens for the analysis were cut from hardened concrete cubes and polishedto achieve a flat surface. The samples were later treated with black ink and zinc oxide paste toachieve a clear contrast between white voids and black paste/aggregate area. In order to estimatethe accuracy of this method, more conventional tools such as pressurised gauge method and air voidanalyser were applied for comparison. Resulted mixtures showed significant differences in air voidproperties between OPC and BFS containing concrete, with the latter being less affected by AEAdosage reduction. Changes in spacing factor and specific surface were also registered; however,their deterioration did not follow the same pattern as that of total air content. No significantdeviation between the two cements containing BFS was observed. An interesting effect of the usedpolycarboxylate ether SP on the AEA reactivity was registered, showing deterioration of air voidproperties with the decrease of plasticizer amount. Comparison of the results from different air voidanalysis methods, suggested an overall agreement on the measured air void system changes due tochanging the AEA content. However, the BubbleCounter software tended to slightly overestimatethe material’s resistance to freeze and thaw phenomenon, giving the most optimistic values inspacing factor and specific surface of air voids. / Betongindustrins ökande medvetenhet om hållbarhet leder till att man inom dimensionering ochutförande fokuserar mot att undvika kostnadskrävande och oförutsedda underhållsåtgärder ochistället lägga större vikt på att förebygga skador i produktionens tidiga skeden. En av dessaåtgärder, som hanterar problemet frostnedbrytning, är en medveten inblandning av luftbubblor ibetongen. Mekanismen för att skapa luftporssystemet kan emellertid bli negativt påverkad underolika skeden av produktionen av många faktorer såsom cementtyp, tillsatsmedelsdos, gjutvillkoroch blandningsordning. Därför behöver man reflektera över pålitliga verktyg för utvärderingenav slutprodukten. Den experimentella studien, som presenteras i detta arbete, fokuserar motförståelse hur slagg och tillsatsmedelsdos påverkar den hårdnade betongens luftporssystem. Tretyper av cement utvärderades, dels ett normalt portlandcement, dels två typer av CEM III-cementmed olika andelar av slagg. Optimala mängder av luftporbildare och flyttillsatsmedel valdesmen reducerades senare för att undersöka deras inverkan på totalt luftinnehåll samt luftporernasavståndsfaktor och specifika yta. Den huvudsakliga metoden som valdes för denna utvärderingvar en flatbäddsscanner (kontorsmodell) för att ta bilder och användningen av en programvaravid namn BubbleCounter för att analysera luftporssystemet. Detta tillvägagångssätt baseras påanalys av tvärgående linjer och kräver en speciell behandling av ytan för att åstadkomma kontraster.Provkroppar för analysen sågades ut ur hårdnade betongkuber och polerades för att erhålla en jämnyta. Provkropparna var senare behandlade med svart bläck och zinkoxidpasta för att åstadkomma entydlig kontrast mellan de vita porerna och den svarta ytan av cementpasta och ballast. För att studeranoggrannheten hos denna metod användes som jämförelse även mer konventionella metoder sommätningar med trycksatta givare och luftporsanalys. De framtagna blandningarna visade signifikantaskillnader i luftporernas egenskaper mellan betong med normalt portlandcement och betong medslaggcement, där den senare påverkades i mindre grad av reduktioner i dosen luftporbildare.Förändringar I avståndsfaktor och specifik yta noterades också men försämringen följde inte sammamönster som den för totala luftinnehållet. Ingen signifikant skillnad mellan de två cementeninnehållande slagg kunde observeras. En intressant inverkan av det använda polykarboxylateterbaseradeflyttillsatsmedlet på luftporbildarens reaktivitet noterades. Den visade en försämringav luftporernas egenskaper vid en reduktion av mängden flyttillsatsmedel. En jämförelse avresultaten från de olika metoderna för luftporsanalys indikerade en övergripande överensstämmelsegällande de uppmätta luftporssystemens förändring p.g.a. förändringar i mängden luftporbildare.Programvaran BubbleCounter tenderade emellertid att något överskatta materialets motstånd motfrostnedbrytning med de mest optimistiska värdena för luftporernas avståndsfaktor och specifikayta.