No description available.

No description available.

Homogeneous single C-S-H gels have been prepared for the investigation of alkali binding potential and crystallisation. A distribution coefficient, R_d, was introduced to express the partition of alkali between solid and aqueous phases at 25°C. R_d is independent of alkali hydroxide concentration and depends only on Ca:Si ratio over wide ranges of alkali concentration. The trend of numerical values of R_d indicates that alkali bonding into the solid improves as its Ca:Si ratio decreases. Reversibility is demonstrated, indicating a possibility of constant R_d value of the material. Al has been introduced to form C-A-S-H gels and their alkali sorption properties also determined. Al substituted into C-S-H markedly increases R_d, indicating enhancement of alkali binding. However, the dependence of R_d on alkali concentration is non-ideal with composition. A two-site model for bonding is presented. Crystallisation both under saturated steam and 1 bar vapour pressure has been investigated. It has been shown that heat treatment by saturated steam causes crystallisation of gels. The principal minerals obtained were (i) C-S-H gel and Ca(OH)₂ at ~55°C, (ii) 1.1 nm tobermorite, jennite and afwillite at 85-130°C, and (iii) xonotlite, foshagite and hillebrandite at 150-180°C. Properties of crystalline C-S-H were also reported for reversible phase transformation, pH conditioning ability, seeding effect and solubility. At 1 bar pressure, crystallisation is slower than in saturated steam due to lower water activity. Tobermorite-like nanodomains develop during reaction at low Ca/Si ratios. In some Ca-rich compositions, Ca(OH)₂ is exsolved and occurs as nano-sized crystallites.

In this thesis, a reversible Lotka-Volterra model was proposed to study the nonlinear oscillation of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky(BZ) reaction in a closed isothermal chemical system. The reaction zone can be divided into two zones, oscillation zone and transition zone, where the oscillation time and the transition time and the number of the complete oscillations are estimated. By applying the geometric singular perturbation method, it was proved that there exist an oscillation axis in the oscillation zone, a strongly stable two-dimensional invariant manifold in transition zone, on which there is also a one-dimensional stable invariant manifold, which is the part of the central axis. There is no oscillation in the vicinity of the equilibrium, as indicated by Onsager's reciprocal symmetry relation. Furthermore, the damped oscillation is studied in terms of the action-action-angle variables. In the end, the model reference control technique is employed to control the oscillation amplitude in the BZ reaction.

Energetic structural materials (ESMs) constitute a new class of materials that provide dual functions of strength and energetic characteristics. ESMs are typically composed of micron-scale or nano-scale intermetallic mixtures or mixtures of metals and metal oxides, polymer binders, and structural reinforcements. Voids are included to produce a composite with favorable chemical reaction characteristics. In this thesis, a continuum approach is used to simulate gas-gun or explosive loading experiments where a strong shock is induced in the ESM by an impacting plate. Algorithms are developed to obtain equations of state of mixtures. It is usually assumed that the shock loading increases the energy of the ESM and causes the ESM to reach the transition state. It is also assumed that the activation energy needed to reach the transition state is a function of the temperature of the mixture. In this thesis, it is proposed that the activation energy is a function of temperature and the stress state of the mixture. The incorporation of such an activation energy is selected in this thesis. Then, a multi-scale chemical reaction model for a heterogeneous mixture is introduced. This model incorporates reaction initiation, propagation, and extent of completed reaction in spatially heterogeneous distributions of reactants. A new model is proposed for the pore collapse of mixtures. This model is formulated by modifying the Carol, Holt, and Nesterenko spherically symmetric model to include mixtures and compressibility effects. Uncertainties in the model result from assumptions in formulating the models for continuum relationships and chemical reactions in mixtures that are distributed heterogeneously in space and in numerical integration of the resulting equations. It is important to quantify these uncertainties. In this thesis, such an uncertainty quantification is investigated by systematically identifying the physical processes that occur during shock compression of ESMs which are then used to construct a hierarchical framework for uncertainty quantification.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- McMaster University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available via World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University, 2003. / Advisor: N. Werstiuk. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-156). Also available via World Wide Web.

This thesis is aimed at biology, presence and methods of weeds regulation on a land planted with permanent grasses. Lately, ruderal weed species have been spreading uncontrollably throughout the lawns. It is very difficult to control their occurrence and also very economically challenging. Therefore, the farms should focus more on the possibilities of preventing excessive weed infestation and they should also define and apply the cheapest and the most favorable precautions. On the grassland, which belongs to the ZD Třebelovice, were observed the most abundant weed species. The weeds which occurred the most were: Taraxacum Officinale, Rumex Obtusifolius L, Ranunculus Repens L., Geranium Pratense L., and Urtica dioica L. The influence of the individual hay cuts on the occurrence of the chosen weed species was monitored. The influence of various herbicides was also the matter of observance. The componential task was to appraise the achieved effect after applying chosen herbicides on the weed species.

No description available.

La thèse vise à apprécier les effets de la mise en oeuvre d'un dispositif d'ExAO comparativement à d'autres modalités plus classiques de TP (laboratoire traditionnel et exposé d'expériences). L'apprentissage concerné est celui du concept de réaction chimique par des élèves de 5ème au Liban. Les élèves soumis aux trois modalités pédagogiques ont été confrontés à deux reprises à une épreuve commune de connaissances (prétest et post-test). Les données analysées portent de plus sur les comptes rendus d'expérience réalisés par les élèves des trois groupes. Les résultats attestent d'un effet positif plus important de la modalité de travail par ExAO. Du point de vue quantitatif les élèves de ce groupe ont nettement plus progressé que les autres eu égard à la plupart des dimensions de l'apprentissage concerné. D'un point de vue qualitatif, il s'avère en outre que ces élèves ont fait preuve d'un meilleur niveau de compréhension du contenu du TP réalisé. / The thesis aims at assessing the effects of the implementation of MBL compared with two other classic lab work methods (the presentation of lab work and lab work displaying). The course given to students in grade 7 in Lebanon focuses on the concept of chemical reaction. The students in all three groups sat for both a pre-test and a post-test of knowledge, created specifically for this study. The analyzed data cover also the reports made by students of all three groups.The results are consistent with a positive effect of the modality of MBL work. From a quantitative point of view, the students in this group are significantly more advanced than others in relation to the most relevant dimensions of learning. From a qualitative point of view, it also turns out that these students have demonstrated a greater level of understanding of the content of lab work achieved.