Published Article / Fly Ash is a by-product at thermal power stations, also otherwise known as residues of fine particles that rise with flue gases. An industrial by-product may be inferior to the traditional materials used construction applications, but, the lower the cost of these inferior materials make it an attractive alternative if adequate performance can be achieved. The objective of this study is to evaluate the chemical and physical effectiveness of self-cementing fly ashes derived from thermal power stations for construction applications with combined standards. Using laboratory testing specimens, suitable types of Fly Ashes namely: Kendal Dump Ash, Durapozz and Pozzfill, were tested to the required standards to evaluate the potential properties. All three Fly Ashes have been classified as a Class F Fly Ash, which requires a cementing agent for reactions to take place and for early strength gains in the early stages of the reaction processes. The Fly Ashes conformed to the combination of standards and have shown that the proper reactions will take place and will continue over period of time. The use of fly ash is accepted worldwide due to saving in cement, consuming industrial waste and making durable materials, especially due to improvement in the quality fly ash products.

Biomass represents an important sustainable energy resource, with biomass-coal cofiring representing among the most effective and cost efficient CO2 reduction strategies. Fly ash generated during coal combustion represents a technically advantageous, inexpensive, and environmentally beneficial admixture in concrete production, partially replacing cement. However, strict interpretation of American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) and American Concrete Institute (ACI) standards prohibits use of fly ashes from any source other than coal in concrete production; therefore, fly ash from biomass coal cofiring is excluded from use in concrete. This dissertation discusses biomass impacts on concrete properties through experiments conducted on several combinations of blended and pure biomass fly ash in concrete mixtures to determine the effects on freshly mixed concrete, strength and durability of hardened concrete, and implication for long-term material properties. The results show that the performance of biomass and blended biomass-coal fly ash is comparable to that of traditional (neat) coal fly ash. Pozzolanic reactions occur simultaneously but not necessarily proportionally to strength development. Mixtures of biomass and coal fly ash in all proportions mitigate alkali-silica-reaction-based (ASR-based) expansion in concrete. Biomass-specific results indicate that biomass-containing fly ash samples can generate 3-6 times the strength of some neat coal fly ash samples in terms of pozzolanic reactions and that biomass-containing fly ash samples have better or comparable ASR mitigation performance relative to neat coal fly ash. Biomass fly ash applications in concrete production involve pozzolanic, cementitious, and ASR reactions in combination with mixture compositions and preparation techniques to dictate ultimate properties. In these practical applications, biomass fly ash demonstrates no consistent improvement or deprecation of concrete properties relative to coal fly ash. Quantitative pozzolanic reaction mechanism and kinetic analyses indicate biomass and coal fly ashes exhibit comparable reaction rates and react by similar mechanisms. The general conclusion from the experiments is that biomass-containing fly ash, when used in concrete, performs comparable to or better than similar neat coal fly ash preparations in most respects; Substantial efforts were made to ensure samples represent typical commercial samples. Therefore, there exists no reason to exclude biomass from cofiring applications on the basis of fly ash performance in concrete and the related standards should be revised.

Yes / This paper examines the impacts of clay mineralogy on the effectiveness of lime stabilisation at different temperatures. A comprehensive experimental programme was conducted to track down the evolution of lime-clay reactions and their durations through monitoring the evolution of strength gain at predetermined times using the Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) test. The study examined clays with different mineralogy compositions comprising Na+ Bentonite and Ball (Kaolinite) clay. Four different clays were tested including 100% bentonite, 100% Ball clay and two clay mixtures with ratios of 1:1 and 1:3 by mass of bentonite to Ball clay. All clays were treated using a range of lime content up to 25% and cured for a period of time up to 672 h at two different temperatures of 20 and 40 °C. The results showed that the continuity of the fast phase (stage 1) of strength gain was dependent on the availability of lime in particular at the higher temperature. Whereas, for the same lime content, the duration of the fast phase and the kinetic of strength gain were significantly related to the clay mineralogy and curing temperature. Except for the initial strength gain at 0 h curing time, the lime-treated Ball clay specimens at 20 °C appeared to show no strength gain throughout the curing period that extended up to 672 h. However, when curing occurred at 40 °C, the no strength gain stage only lasted for 72 h after which a gradual increase in the strength was observed over the remaining curing period of time. The addition of Bentonite to Ball clay succeeded in kicking off the strength gain after a short period of curing time at both curing temperatures.

Yes / This study aims to provide a thorough evaluation for the changes in the microstructure and evolution of strength of highly reactive clays that were treated with 7 % lime over a period of curing time as a function of the mixing moisture content. Three series of testing were carried out on specimens with 100 %, 85 % and 75 % of bentonite content and prepared with different moisture content of 10, 20, 30 and 40 % above the corresponding optimum moisture content. Specimens of 100 % bentonite were treated with 7 % of lime, compacted to achieve a predetermined dry unit weight and cured at temperatures of 20 OC and 40 OC for up to 28 days whereas the specimens with 85 % and 75 % of bentonite content were prepared by the addition of sand and were cured at 20 oC for up to 7 days. Unconfined Compressive Strength tests and Scanning Electron Microscopy were conducted to observe the strength and the microstructural changes resulting from increasing mixing moisture content. California Bearing Ratio and Resilient Modulus were correspondingly determined based on correlations with the Unconfined Compressive Strength. The failure pattern was also studied to better understand the ultimate behaviour of lime stabilised clays. The results revealed that the strength of treated bentonite increased with the increase in the moisture content up to 30 % above the corresponding optimum moisture content and with increasing the curing time and temperature. Nevertheless, substituting bentonite with sand on the specimen resulted in a significant reduction on the attained strength. Furthermore, the results of California Bearing Ratio and Resilient Modulus showed that values for both parameters are significantly enhanced with lime treatment. The microstructural analysis provided visual evidence to the improved strength in which the pozzolanic reaction was found to be significantly affected by the amount of moisture in the mixture. The results suggested that compacting lime treated expansive clays with moisture content moderately higher than the optimum moisture content would result in a significant enhancement to the attained strength over the period of curing.

M. Tech. (Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology): Vaal University of Technology / Strict environmental regulation on flue gas emission has led to the implementation of FGD technologies in power stations. Wet FGD technology is commonly used because it has high SO2 removal efficiency, high sorbent utilization and due to availability of the sorbent (limestone) used. SO2 is removed by passing flue gas through the absorber where it reacts with the slurry containing calcium ions which is obtained by dissolution. This study presents the findings of the dissolution of a calcium-based material (limestone) for wet FGD process. This was done using a pH stat apparatus and adipic acid as acid titrant. Adipic acid was used because of its buffering effect in wet FGD process. The conditions used for this study are similar to what is encountered in a wet FGD process. The extent of dissolution was determined by analyzing the amount of calcium ions in solution at different dissolution periods. The dissolution kinetics were correlated to the shrinking core model and it was found out that chemical reaction at the surface of the particle is the rate controlling step. This study also investigated the dissolution of coal fly ash and bottom ash. Their dissolution kinetics showed that the diffusion through the product layer was the rate controlling step due to an ash layer formed around the particle. The formation of ash layer was attributed to pozzolanic reaction products which is calcium-alumino-silicate (anorthite) compounds were formed after dissolution. The effect of fly ash on the dissolution of rate of limestone was also studied using response surface methodology. Limestone reactivity was found to increase with increase in the amount of fly ash added and the pH was found to be strong function of the rate constant compared to other dissolution variables. The presence of silica and alumina in fly ash led to a significant increase in the specific surface area due to hydration products formed after dissolution. / Eskom

This diploma thesis deals with the study of high-strength, high-volume fly ash concrete. The theoretical part of this thesis focuses on the detailed characteristic and main principles of high-strength concrete, high-volume fly ash concrete. In addition, according to the findings, the technology of high-strength and high-volume fly ash concrete, including principles of high strength, has been described. On the basis of the findings, high-strength, high-volume fly ash concrete for specific compressive strengths has been designed and created in the experimental section. These concretes were then subjected to a number of tests.

Předložená magisterská práce se zabývá možným použitím vitrifikovaného lignitového lóžového popele jako náhrada slinku v kompozitních cementech. Byly zkoumány vlivy přidaného vitrifikovaného lóžového popele, jeho jemnosti, alkalických roztoků a jejich koncentrací. Byly připraveny kompozitní cementy v souladu s normou DIN EN 197 – 1. V těchto cementech bylo nahrazeno 30 % slinku vitrifikovaným lóžovým popelem. Konkrétně byly připraveny kompozitní cementy s vitrifikovaným lóžovým popelem o jemnosti 5549 cm2/g a 8397 cm2/g. Dále byly přidány alkalické roztoky hydroxidů a síranů vždy o dvou různých koncentracích, za účelem stimulace pucolánové a/nebo geopolymerní reakce. Mechanické vlastnosti připravených vzorků byly charakterizovány mechanickým testováním na prizmách s rozměry 40×40×160 mm, jak je specifikováno v normě DIN EN 196 – 1. Byla provedena nedestruktivní měření dynamického elastického modulu a destruktivní testovaní na pevnosti v tlaku a v ohybu. Distribuce velikosti částic a chemická analýza vstupních materiálů byla vykonána pomocí laserové granulometrie a rentgenové fluorescence. U zatvrdlých kompozitů bylo dále zkoumáno po 2 a 28 dnech hydratace fázové složení s využitím metody rentgenové difrakce a mikrostruktura s využitím skenovací elektronové mikroskopie. Výsledky ukázaly, že mechanické vlastnosti jsou nezávislé na množství přidaných alkálií stejně jako na jemnosti přidaného vitrifikovaného lóžového popele. Nicméně, znatelně nižší mechanické pevnosti byly pozorovány pro vzorky, které byly aktivovány hydroxidy, pravděpodobně kvůli brzké tvorbě silikátového hydrogelu. Vzorky aktivované sírany nedosáhly pevností jako referenční malta.