Alkali-activated materials (AAM) are construction materials with great potential, especially for their environmental friendliness, but also due to their mechanical properties. Therefore, it is appropriate to pay further attention to these binders. This diploma thesis deals with monitoring the effectiveness of plasticizers in connection with the surface chemistry of the alkali-activated slag system. Sodium hydroxide and sodium water glass were used as alkaline activators for the preparation of alkali-activated blast furnace slag-based systems. To study the effectiveness of the lignosulfonate plasticizer, yield stress, heat flow, adsorption and zeta potential were monitored depending on the amount and time that the plasticizer was added to the system. The results show that the type of activator used in the mixtures plays an important role. NaOH-activated samples revealed the best efficiency of lignosulfonate plasticizers. A key factor in studying the behavior of the studied mixtures was the measurement of the zeta potential, which provided insight into the surface charge of blast furnace slag particles related to the ability of lignosulfonate to adsorb on grains of alkali-activated slag.

The Master’s thesis was conducted under the project FR-TI1/070 “Optimalization of heavy steel casting manufacture” in cooperation with ŽĎAS a. s. foundry. It evaluates rate of conchoidal fracture in samples extracted from experimental castings. The testing bar for the static tensile test were extracted from thermal axis of casting. The research part describes ways of deoxidating the liquid metal and usage of separate deoxidating chemical parts, followed by summary of research knowledge on conchoidal fractures. In the practical part, the process of sample evaluation is described. The conchoidal fracture, the surface of which was evaluated on the fracture surfaces, influences mechanical qualities of cast steel. Simultaneously, impacts of metallurgical factors on rate of conchoidal fracture were examined

Ground granulated blast furnace slag is a by-product of the steel industry and is often used in combination with ordinary Portland cement as a binder in concrete. When concrete is exposed to high temperatures, physical and chemical transformations lead to significant loss of mechanical properties. This study aims to investigate the effect of high temperatures and rehydration on the mechanical properties, microstructure and phase composition of alkali activated slag. The results of the research could make an important contribution to decisions made concerning the reconstruction of structures affected by fire. In suitable cases it would be possible to regenerate parts of a structure instead of totally rebuilding it.

Alkali activated materials could be suitable alternative to construction materials based on ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Therefore, it is advisable to pursue these binders further on. Aim of this thesis is to clarify the effect of lignosulfonate-based plasticizer and polycarboxylate-based superplasticizer on the behaviour and nature of alkali activated materials. For the purposes of studying the efficiency of plasticizing additives, the change of workability of alkali activated blast furnace slag in dependence on time, effect of additives on mechanical properties as well as, with usage of isothermal calorimetry, their impact on kinetics of solidification and hardening had been observed. The stability of the plasticizing admixtures in a high alkaline environment such as water glass and sodium hydroxide had been studied using infrared spectrometry. As a last step, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) had been used while clarifying the chemical changes in the structure of plasticizing additives after adsorption to blast furnace slag.

This work is devoted to describe the possibilities of mechanical activations of admixtures used in concrete. Then, the verification options of grind fly ash, both from brown and black coal, from the classical as well as fluidized combustion and examination their impact on physical and mechanical properties of concrete, especially on long-term development to old age 180 days. Further attention is paid to assessing the impact of the use of mechanically activated fly ash on hydration heat evolution and the associated volume changes in the age of 1 to 90 days. In this work are presented the results of basic technological tests on concretes using admixtures, especially fly ash.

The thesis is focused on the application of brick powder in production of binary alkali-activated binders with metakaolin, slag and fly ash. The theoretical part summarizes recent fields of use of the ceramic waste in construction and binder industry and prerequisite properties of the brick powder for alkaline activation. Brick powder based geopolymers made in the experimental work were tested for their mechanical properties, porosity and microstructure, flow properties of the fresh geopolymers were evaluated by rheometric measurements. In accordance with the results it can be concluded that brick powder could be a suitable precursor for blended binders with metakaolin and slag, these samples exhibited good mechanical properties and microstructure characteristics. The combination with fly ash was less applicable due to a rapid setting, hardening retarder used in these binders caused significant deterioration of the mechanical properties of the material.

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.

The diploma thesis is focused on the use of the waste glass with different fineness on alkali - activated composites, mainly based on slag and fly ash. The theoretical part is focused on materials that are most used for alkaline activation - slag, fly ash and their composites with waste glass. The theoretical part also deals with the alkaline activation of composites from these materials and the factors that influences the microstructure and properties of these composites. In the experimental part were prepared composites from slag and fly ash with a waste glass as substitute. These composites then have been examined on mechanical properties and microstructure, also how different fineness of glass influences these properties. Then it will be decided whether it is economically advantageous grinding waste glass to finer fractions

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.