The presented diploma thesis deals with the potential use of colloidal silica in cement composites. Investigation is focused primarily on selected properties of cement pastes and mortars with colloidal silica content. Two selected types of colloidal silica (particles with average size of 14 nm) have been used as a cement addition and partial replacement of cement, respectively. The experimental program for cement pastes with colloidal silica included tests for isothermal calorimetry (the study of cement hydration) and thermal analysis (determining the portlandite content). Hardened cement pastes have been studied through measurements of compressive strength. The microstructure was examined by scanning electron microscopy. Hardened mortars with colloidal silica have been studied through measurements of compressive strength, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity and fracture mechanics parameters. Fracture mechanics tests show that 5 % and 20 % addition of colloidal silica can enhance after 28 days of curing fracture energy up to 18,4 % and 32,7 %, respectively. For the compressive strength enhancing effect of colloidal silica, it was found to be more pronounced in the early age, while rate of strength gain can be lower than the control in the later ages. Our investigations revealed that the silica sol will coagulate immediately when the cement is mixed into the water containing sol. The ionic composition of pore fluid significantly influences the stability of colloidal silica and lead to their aggregation. After additional tests it has been found that small addition of calcium hydroxide greatly improved the compressive strength of the resulting cement pastes with colloidal silica content. Addition of calcium hydroxide in conjunction with modified cement paste preparation can enhance compressive strength after 3 days of curing up to 64,4 % in comparison with the blank paste.

The aim of this thesis is to summarize the knowledge regarding reduction of negative impact of high volumes of fly ash in HVFA concretes using nanotechnology and experimentally verify the findings. To compensate the inferior early-age properties, it is possible to use active nanoparticles, such as nanosilica or nanolimestone. The first step of the experiment was the production of stable nanoparticle’s dispersions using ultrasonic homogenization and UV/Vis spectroscopy. In subsequent steps the influence of nanoparticle’s presence on cementitious materials’ properties was verified on cement pastes and mortars with 40 a 60 % of fly ash. The best variant was then used to produce nano-modified HVFA concretes. Even at a minimum dose, the positive effect on early-age properties indicates the usefulness of nanoparticles in technology of concrete. An important contribution of this thesis is also the acquired knowledge related to the nanoparticle’s behavior and handling.

High surface area of used nanoparticles and their comparable size with polymer chains, are the most important characteristics of fillers in the preparation of non-Newtonian suspensions. Such structures at different concentrations have major influence on the rheological behavior of polymer solution in solvent. With increasing volume fraction of nanofiller, there is pseudoplastic or dilatant behavior present in the dissolved elastomers. Diploma thesis studies the influence of the concentration of different elastomers (SBR and SEBS copolymers) and nanofiller (hydrophobic nanosilica) in suspension, of rheological properties.

This diploma thesis deals with the study of isothermal crystallization of nanocomposite materials based on isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and nanosilica, depending on the volume fraction (0, 2, 4 and 6 %) and type of silica and the crystallization temperature. Fumed silica and four types of silica with different surface treatment were used as filler. The crystallization performed at temperatures 136, 138, 140 and 142 °C has been studied in-situ using polarized optical microscope and the crystallization rate was evaluated from the growing radius of spherulites. It can be stated that particles of silica have been inbuilt into the spherulites due to the linear growth of spherulites of all composite materials. The most significant increase of the crystallization rate of iPP was caused by fumed silica, the most significant decrease was caused by silica TS-720 at volume fraction 4 %. The crystallization rate (G) has been slightly increased with the increasing volume fraction of filler at 136 °C, the G slightly decreased at 138 °C and there was no trend of G for two higher temperatures. Also, it was not possible to exactly evaluate the influence of the surface treatments. The reason is the most probably uneven (non-homogenous) distribution of nanosilica as revealed thermogravimetric analysis. The crystallization kinetics was evaluated according to the Lauritzen-Hoffmann theory. The morphological part of the study showed that iPP was in ? and ß-structure and spherulites of ? phase were of the type I, II and mixed.

The work deals mainly with preparation protocol of nanocomposites. The task of this work is to study structural and procedural parameteres that control the dispersion of nanoparticles in polymer solution to be able to prepare desired spatial organization of nanoparticles. The work resolves the effect of various components such as polymer matrices, nanoparticles and solvent, in which matrices and nanoparticles are blended. Used components control final dispersion state of nanoparticles and it influences also properties of investigated materials such as glass transition temperature, stiffness and rheological properties.

Lead is a naturally occurring element that has high atomic weight (207u) and density (11.3 g/cm3). Their multiple industrial, domestic, agricultural, medical and technological applications have led to their wide distribution in the environment, raising concerns over their potential effects on human health and the environment. At present, extensive application of nanosilica in environmental pollution treatment has led to the development of silica extraction methodologies out of various chemical and waste products. In this study, nanosilica is synthesized by sol-gel method from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) with base catalysts and volumetric ratio TEOS/C2H5OH/H2O/NH4OH: 5/30/1/1 and identified characteristics by some modern techniques such as Energy-dispersive Xray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourrier Transformation Infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron micrograph (SEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The results showed that the prepared SiO2 nanoparticles were amorphous phase with the average size about 60-100 nm and can be used as an immediately utilization for lead treatment. At the pH of 5, shaking within 1 hours with speed 150rpm/min, lead treatment efficiency is 96.17% for initial Pb2+ concentration 10 mgPb2+/L. Maximum adsorption concentration Qmax = 30.3mg/g, and adsorbent and adsorbate constant b = 0.868 L/g. Therefore, extracted nanosilica from TEOS has high lead treatment efficiency. In addition, synthesis nanosilica from rice husk with similar characteristics is a new research approach to improve application and economic value of the material. / Chì là nguyên tố tự nhiên có khối lượng nguyên tử cao(207 đvC), tỉ trọng lớn (11,3 g/cm3) và được ứng dụng phổ biến trong công nghiệp, nông nghiệp, sinh hoạt, y tế và công nghệ. Việc sử dụng rộng rãi chì trong nhiều lĩnh vực làm tăng mối quan ngại về tác động tiềm tàng của chúng đối tới sức khỏe con người và môi trường. Hiện nay việc áp dụng rộng rãi nanosilica vào xử lí ô nhiễm môi trường đã và đang dẫn đến sự phát triển của các phương pháp tách chiết silica từ hóa chất và các phế phụ phẩm. Trong nghiên cứu này, nanosilica được tổng hợp bằng phương pháp sol-gel từ tetraetoxysilan (TEOS) với xúc tác bazo theo tỷ lệ thể tích TEOS/C2H5OH/H2O/NH4OH là 5/30/1/1 và xác định các đặc tính bằng một số kỹ thuật hiện đại như phổ tán sắc năng lượng tia X (EDX), quang phổ hồng ngoại (FTIR) và nhiễu xạ tia X (XRD), kính hiển vi điện tử quét (SEM), kính hiển vi điện tử quét phát xạ trường (FESEM). Kết quả cho thấy các hạt nano SiO2 tách chiết được có pha vô định hình với kích thước trung bình khoảng 60-100 nm và được sử dụng trực tiếp cho xử lí chì. Tại điều kiện pH=5, lắc trong 1 giờ với tốc độ 150 vòng/phút, hiệu quả xử lý chì đạt 96,17% đối với nước nhiễm kim loại chì có nồng độ ban đầu là 10mgPb2+/L. Lượng hấp phụ cực đại Qmax = 30,3mg/g; hằng số đặc trưng của chất hấp phụ và chất bị hấp phụ b = 0,868L/g. Như vậy, hiệu quả xử lý kim loại chì của vật liệu nano silica được tổng hợp từ TEOS là rất cao. Bên cạnh đó, nghiên cứu chế tạo nanosilica từ vỏ trấu với các đặc tính tương tự là một hướng đi mới giúp nâng cao tính ứng dụng và giá trị kinh tế của vật liệu.

This work deals with the study of the influence of metallocene type polypropylene (mPP) molecular weight on isothermal crystallization of its nanocomposites filled with hydrophobic and hydrophilic nanosilica (1 and 2 vol.%). Real amount of nanosilica was determined by thermogravimetry. Isothermal crystallization was performed on differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) at 119–125 °C and observed in-situ under optical polarizing microscope (POM) at 128 °C using hot stage. The increase of mPP crystallinity degree in time was determined on DSC and spherulite type and growth rate was determined using POM. Supramolecular surface structure of the original and isothermally crystallited nanocomposites was observed directly or after chemical etching (mixture of mineral acids with KMnO4) on confocal laser scanning microscope. The crystal structure of mPP was in all tested materials verified by X-ray diffraction.

Tato dizertační práce se zabývá přípravou a charakterizací nanokompozitních polymerních pěn se zaměřením na strukturu materiálu a aplikaci v 3D tisku. Cílem práce je studium materiálu s vysoce organizovanou hierarchickou strukturou – od nanoměřítka, přes mikroskopickou strukturu po makroskopická tělesa. V první části práce byly řešeny strukturní vlastnosti nanokompozitů připravených z polymerních skel roztokovou metodou. Byl hledán obecně platný trend, pomocí kterého by bylo možné předpovídat disperzi nanočástic v kompozitu. Ukázalo se, že řídícím faktorem může být závislost na rozdílu parametrů rozpustnosti polymeru a rozpouštědla. Tento poznatek byl ověřen na systémech obsahujících různé nanočástice, polymery a rozpouštědla. Se znalostí principů pro řízení struktury nanokompozitů byly připraveny nanokompozity impaktního polystyrenu plněného nanosilikou. Tyto nanokompozity posloužily jako základ pro přípravu polymerních nakompozitních pěn. Porézní struktury bylo dosaženo pomocí termálního chemického nadouvadla azodikarbonamidu. Z těchto materiálů byly extrudovány filamenty, které byly následně zpracovány pomocí 3D tisku do požadovaných tvarů a vypěněny. Výsledkem byla hierarchická struktura s organizací struktury od nano (organizace nanočástic), přes mikro (struktura dvoukomponentní polymerní směsi a struktura pěny) po makroměřítko (struktura pěny a design 3D tisku). Byl pozorován vliv nanočástic na strukturu a termální a mechanické vlastnosti polymerních pěn. Nanočástice fungují při tvorbě pěny jako nukleační činidlo, na jejich povrchu snadno dochází k tvorbě pórů, takže s obsahem nanočástic v materiálu bylo vytvořeno více menších pórů, což napomohlo k homogenitě pěnové struktury. Přítomnost nanočástic změnila povrchovou energii zrn nadouvadla, díky čemuž docházelo k jeho rozkladu za nižích teplot a pěnění bylo i rychlejší. Nanočástice mají zároveň potenciál vyztužit stěny pěny a zlepšit tak mechanické vlastnosti. 3D tisk je oblíbená a hojně rozšířená technika, díky své jednoduchosti je v mnoha laboratořích a zkušebnách, proto roste poptávka po filamentech se speciálními vlastnostmi. Materiál vyvinutý v této dizertační práci je v podstatě hotovým a charakterizovaným produktem, který by mohl přispět k uspokojení této pohledávky.