Mineralogical and chemical assessment of concrete damaged by the oxidation of sulfide-bearing aggregates: Importance of thaumasite formation on reaction mechanisms

Damages in concrete containing sulfide-bearing aggregates were recently observed in the Trois-Rivières area (Quebec, Canada), characterized by rapid deterioration within 3 to 5 years after construction. A petrographic examination of concrete core samples was carried out using a combination of tools including: stereomicroscopic evaluation, polarized light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron microprobe analysis.The aggregate used to produce concrete was an intrusive igneous rock with different metamorphism degrees and various proportions of sulfide minerals. In the rock, sulfide minerals were often surrounded by a thin layer of carbonate minerals (siderite). Secondary reaction products observed in the damaged concrete include “rust” mineral forms (e.g. ferric oxyhydroxides such as goethite, limonite (FeO (OH) nH₂O) and ferrihydrite), gypsum, ettringite and thaumasite. In the presence of water and oxygen, pyrrhotite oxidizes to form iron oxyhydroxides and sulphuric acid. The acid then reacts with the phases of the cement paste/aggregate and provokes the formation of sulfate minerals. Understanding both mechanisms, oxidation and internal sulfate attack, is important to be able to duplicate the damaging reaction in laboratory conditions, thus allowing the development of a performance test for evaluating the potential for deleterious expansion in concrete associated with sulfide-bearing aggregates.     

Upper Cretaceous Duwi Formation shale’s oil potentiality Safaga-Quseir,Red Sea,Egypt

Duwi Formation shale deposits at Safaga – Quseir area were assessed by rock eval pyrolysis for its shale oil potentiality. The studied shale’s organic matter are mainly of type I, type II, mixed type I/II in addition to some of type III. The studied shale is described as very good source rock with total organic carbon (TOC?>?2?wt%). The kerogen maturation in the studied samples is immature according to PI and Tmax. Extracted shale oil from the studied samples as bitumen was fractionated by liquid chromatography (LG) into saturated hydrocarbon, aromatic hydrocarbon, resin and asphaltene. The saturated hydrocarbon was described by gas chromatography (GC), the pristane/phytane, isoprenoids/n-alkane and CPI ratios show that, samples were deposited in marine environment with some input of terrestrial environment and are characterized by immature level.The X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis for the studied shale samples show their bulk minerals are mainly quartz, calcite, dolomite, gypsum, hematite and pyrite in addition to apatite and fluorapatite. While their clay minerals are mainly smectite and kaolinite. The chemical composition of the studied samples showed high concentration of trace elements such as Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, V and Zn which in turn through more lights on the depositional environment of the organic matter.     

Using thermal analysis techniques for identifying the flash point temperatures of some lubricant and base oils

The flash point (FP) temperatures of some lubricant and base oils were measured according to ASTM D92 and ASTM D93. In addition, the thermal stability of the oils was studied using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) under nitrogen atmosphere. The DSC results showed that the FP temperatures, for each oil, were found during the first decomposition step and the temperature at the peak of the first decomposition step was usually higher than FP temperatures. The TGA results indicated that the temperature at which 17.5% weigh loss take placed (T_17.5%) was nearly identical with the FP temperature (±10 °C) that was measured according to ASTM D92. The deviation percentage between FP and T_17.5% was in the range from ?0.8% to 3.6%.     

Preconstruction solution for Groundwater rise in Sabkha

Sabkha deposits are formed under arid conditions and are considered as a common problematic soil along the coastal area of the Arabian Gulf. Saudi Arabia. One of the most serious problems associated with the coustruction on sabkha is the rise of groundwater level causing settlement and hence imposing additional stress on the structural elements. Groundwater rise in sabkha was attributed to numerous reasons; the interruption of the natural evaporation by construction is considered to the most prominent. The evaporation data along the Arabian Gulf coast had been analyzed and the possible rise in the groundwater level had been predicted using both the evaporation and soil porosity data. A horizontal drain is suggested to interrupt the capillarity in the soil and to drain the infiltrating water and hence stop the groundwater rise. A mathematical model for the optimum selection of the drain characteristics is presented. This model requires the knowledge of some site conditions such as the area to be drained, the thickness of the aquifer and the soil coefficient of permeability. Based on these values a design curve can be constructed to relate the horizontal drain characteristics such as the longitudinal transmissivity of the drain, its thickness and its slope. An example using the parameters of a specific site conditions along the Arabian Gulf coast is given to present the suggested design curve. The relative significance of these parameters on the drain characteristics and geometry is also discussed.     

Mass-transfer to a channel wall downstream of a cylinder

The electrochemical method is used to measure the mass-transfer to a channel wall downstream of a cylinder. For Reynolds numbers based on cylinder diameter Re > 50, the flow is unsteady, and the mass-transfer rate is a function of time. When 50 < Re < 200, the mass-transfer rate is periodic with a frequency in the range of 1–3 Hz. When the ratio of cylinder diameter d to channel height h is 0.25, the Strouhal number is measured to be 0.27±0.02, and when d/h = 0.51, the Strouhal number is 0.49±0.01. The average mass-transfer rate at various positions downstream of the cylinder is reported. Experiments are compared to two-dimensional numerical simulations. The simulated and experimental variations of Nusselt number with position and Re contain similar features, but exact agreement is not found.     

Evaluation of the quality of bread,biscuit and butcher's sausage supplemented with rootlets of malt sprouts

The dietary fiber components of the rootlets of malt sprouts were determined. The rootlets were incorporated at different substitution levels in two types of bread (flattened and pan bread), biscuits and butcher's sausage. The proximate analysis of these products were also determined. Substitution levels of 5% and 10% gave good and acceptable bread of higher contents of protein and fiber. Although biscuits containing up to 15% rootlets were acceptable, yet their sensory qualities were adversely affected. Butcher's sausage containing up to 10% rootlets were of good sensory and cooking properties. Meat substitution with rootlets improved the cooking quality, reduced the cooking losses and lowered the cost of production of butcher's sausage.     

Weld repair practices without post weld heat treatment for ferritic alloys and their consequences on residual stresses: A review

The use of the half-bead, temper bead welding (TBW), and cold repair techniques is proving to reduce the cost of repairs and extend the life of aged components in power plants, petrochemical and hydrocarbon processing industries. It has been a significant area of interest for more than twenty years. A critical factor in this context is residual stress. The presence of residual stresses can lead to cracking which ultimately results in structural failure. This paper reviews the half-bead, TBW, and cold repair technique practices and their consequences on residual stresses within the nuclear, power, refinery and petrochemical industries and some of the contributions made by our group of researchers in this area.     

Extractability and functional properties of some legume proteins isolated by three different methods

The extraction of protein from the flour of three grain legumes (faba beans, chick peas and fenugreek) was investigated using three different methods. Three protein preparations were made: by alkaline extraction and precipitation at isoelectric pH (protein isoelectric precipitate, PIP); extraction with 0.5 M sodium chloride solution and precipitation by ionic strength reduction (protein micellar mass, PMM); extraction in aqueous or saline solution in the presence of pepsin or pancreatin (partially hydrolysed protein preparation, PHP). Two of the protein isolates had higher values of water absorption and fat absorption compared to their corresponding parent flours, with fenugreek being the exception. Oil emulsification of the isolates was in the descending order: PMM, PHP and PIP. The PHP isolate had the highest nitrogen solubility index (NSI) values at pH 2.4 followed by PMM at pH 5.7–6.4 and finally PIP at pH 4.5–5.5.     

The chemical composition,the nutritive value and the functional properties of malt sprout and its components (acrospires,rootlets and husks)

The components of malt sprouts were effectively separated by manual winnowing into acrospires (15·3%), rootlets (40·1%) and husks (43·7%). The bitter taste was located in the acrospires. Percent recovery of protein and fibre was, respectively, 95·2 and 87·2 of malt sprouts. The acrospires were rich in protein (30·3%) and sugars (45·7%) but low in calcium (1·94 g kg⁻¹), fibre content (4·6%) and essential amino acids. They had moderate functional properties. The rootlets were rich in calcium (19·9 g kg⁻¹) and in protein (31·9%), which had a good nutritive value (low in phytic acid and polyphenols content). They had a moderate fibre content (10·7%). Consequently, they had the highest water absorption, oil absorption and emulsification capacities. The rootlets had relatively low foam capacity but the highest foam stability. The husks were rich in fibre content (25%) but moderate in protein content (12·4%), which was rich in essential amino acids. The husks were relatively low in calcium (11·83 g kg⁻¹) and phosphorus (6·53 g kg⁻¹) contents and in vitro protein digestibility (68·9%). Their functional properties were influenced by high fibre and moderate protein contents. The first limiting amino acids were sulphur-containing ones in the malt sprouts, the acrospires and the rootlets, but it was leucine in the husks. © 1997 SCI.     

SYNERGIC EXTRACTION OF COBALT(II) BY STRUCTURALLY RELATED CROWN ETHERS AND THENOYLTRIFLUOROACETONE

ABSTRACT

Cobalt (II) was extracted from perchlorate aqueous media by thenoyltrifluoroacetone (HTTA)alone and mixed with 12-Crown-4 (12C4) 15-Crown-5 (15C5) 18-Crown-6 (18C6)dibenzo-18-Crown-6 (Dbl8C6)dicyclohexyl-18-Crown-6 (Dchl8C6) or dicyclohexyl-24-Crown-8 (Dch24C8), in chloroform. The extraction constant of the chelate (K20) the extraction constant of the mixed species (K21), the synergic factor (S.F.) and the formation constant of the extracted adducts (β₂₁) were evaluated. The adduct stoichiometry was found to have the general formula Co(TTA)₂CE, irrespective of the crown ether (CE) used. It was found that no specific cavity size is required for the adduct formation. The synergic values K₂₁, S.F., and β₂₁as related to the crown ether took the order Dch24C8 > 18C6 > Dchl8C6 > 15C5 > Dbl8C6 > 12C4, which could be explained in terms of the crown ether basicity rather than the correspondence between the cavity size of the crown ether and the cobalt(II) crystal radii. The sequence 18C6 > Dchl8C6 > Dbl8C6 was interpreted in terms of the withdrawing ability of Dch and Db as substitutes in reducing the basic character of the adjacent crown ether oxygen donors.