A study was conducted to evaluate the properties and processes influencing the rate and magnitude of volume decrease and strength gain for oil sand fine tailings resulting from a change in bitumen extraction process (caustic versus non-caustic) and the effect of adding a coagulant to caustic fine tailings. Laboratory flume deposition tests were carried out with the objective to hydraulically deposit oil sand tailings and compare the effects of extraction processes on the nature of beach deposits in terms of geometry, particle size distribution, and density. A good correlation exists between flume deposition tests results using oil sand tailings and the various other tailings materials. These comparisons show the reliability and effectiveness of flume deposition tests in terms of establishing general relationships and can serve as a guide to predict beach slopes. Fine tailings were collected from the various flume tests and a comprehensive description of physical and chemical characteristics of the different fine tailings was carried out. The characteristics of the fine tailings is presented in terms of index properties, mineralogy, specific surface area, water chemistry, liquid limits, particle size distribution and structure. The influence of these fundamental properties on the compressibility, hydraulic conductivity and shear strength properties of the fine tailings was assessed. Fourteen two meter and one meter high standpipe tests were instrumented to monitor the rate and magnitude of self-weight consolidation of the different fine tailings materials. Consolidation tests using slurry consolidometers were carried out to determine consolidation properties, namely compressibility and hydraulic conductivity, as well as the effect of adding a coagulant (calcium sulphate [CaSO4]) to caustic fine tailings. The thixotropic strength of the fine tailings was examined by measuring shear strength over time using a vane shear apparatus. A difference in water chemistry during bitumen extraction was concluded to be the cause of substantial differences in particle size distributions and degree of dispersion of the comparable caustic and non-caustic fine tailings. The degree of dispersion was consistent with predictions for dispersed clays established by the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) values for these materials. The biggest advantage of non-caustic fine tailings and treating caustic fine tailings with coagulant is an increased initial settlement rate and slightly increased hydraulic conductivity at higher void ratios. Thereafter, compressibility and hydraulic conductivity are governed by effective stress. The chemical characteristics of fine tailings (water chemistry, degree of dispersion) do not have a significant impact on their compressibility behaviour and have only a small influence at high void ratio (low effective stress). Fine tailings from a caustic based extraction process had relatively higher shear strengths than comparable non-caustic fine tailings at equivalent void ratios. However, shear strength differences were small and the overall impact on consolidation behaviour, which also depends on compressibility and hydraulic conductivity, is not expected to be significant.

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Literature does not provide a satisfactory answer to maximum and minimum particle size or the particle size of the mortar phase especially for optimal porosity of concrete. To overcome the shortcomings of the design methods were thought to design a new method for design of concrete mix. This idea is based on a complex analysis of powder materials (determination of granular properties, shape factor of fillers, porosity, packing of powder materials, surface area, etc.) and subsequently to assess the influence to pore system of concrete and physical and mechanical properties in hardened state of concrete. In this work are presented and analyzed two types of fillers – fly ash and limestone dust.

The modern, contemporarily used cement composite types make use of various additives. This diploma thesis is focused on designs of mortars that have been enriched with micro and nano additives, which lead to higher mechanical strength through optimized grading of mortar mixes. This thesis also evaluates the influence of material properties on resulting properties of mortars in fresh and hardened state.

The preparation of a new group of functionalized conjugated polymer networks has been described based on spontaneous quaternization polymerization of ethynylpyridines with bis(bromomethyl)arenes. The networks consisted of polyacetylene chains with pyridyl and pyridiniumyl pendants cross-linked with -CH2(arylene)CH2- links. The variation of the ratio of monomer and quaternization agent in the feed modified the ratio of pyridyl and pyridiniumyl groups in the networks (pyridyl/pyridiniumyl ratios from 0 to 1.32). The networks did not exhibit a permanent microporosity that could be confirmed by nitrogen adsorption at 77 K. Nevertheless, all networks were active in capture of CO2 at 293 K (up to 0.73 mmol CO2/g, 750 Torr). It has been hypothesized that CO2 capture reflected formation of a temporary porous texture of the networks through conformational changes of the network segments enabled by the segments mobility at room temperature. The preparation of functionalized conjugated polymer networks with permanent micro/mesoporosity (SBET up to 667 m2 /g) has been described that was based on chain coordination copolymerization of acetylenic monomers. The copolymerization of 1,4-diethynylbenzene or 4,4'-diethynylbiphenyl with mono or diethynylbenzenes bearing NO2 or CH2OH groups has been demonstrated as...