Addition Of Different Proportions Research Articles

The Chemical and Rheological Properties of Corn Extrudates Enriched with Zn- and Se-Fortified Wheat Flour

This paper analyzed the influence of the addition of Zn- and Se-fortified wheat flour to corn extrudates on viscosity, total starch content, starch damage, and bioavailability of zinc and selenium. Fortified wheat flour was added to corn grits in 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, and 60:40 ratios at three extrusion temperature profiles: 140/170/170 °C, 150/180/180 °C, and 160/190/190 °C. Viscosity values decreased significantly at different extrusion temperature profiles and at different proportions of wheat. The extrusion process increased the starch content, regardless of the extrusion temperature, and decreased it by adding different proportions of flour enriched with zinc and selenium. The starch damage increased with extrusion, without significant changes with extrusion temperature increment. The addition of different proportions of Zn- and Se-fortified wheat flour reduced starch damage values proportionally to the added content of enriched wheat. Increasing the temperature and the proportions, the total zinc content in the extrudates increased. Zinc bioavailability increased with increasing extrusion temperature. As for selenium, the total content increased by proportion increment but decreased with an increase in the extrusion temperature, though there were no significant differences in selenium bioavailability regardless of changes in extrusion temperature or the proportion of enriched wheat.

Assessing the degradability of biodegradable-packaging base material through the insertion of organic solid waste deriving from composting process

The intensification of the use of plastic materials in recent decades has caused several environmental impacts, becoming direct incentives for research and development of alternatives that minimize the massive amount of plastics used by societies. In this context, so-called biodegradable materials emerge, with emphasis on starch-based compounds, which, although they have limited mechanical properties and low water resistance, allow the mixture with various reinforcing agents, in order to overcome the deficiencies for their application in larger scales without detracting from its focus on biodegradability. In this sense, the present study aimed to evaluate the biodegradability of a starch-based biopolymer, with the addition of different proportions of malt bagasse, this residue from the production process of beer; evaluating and monitoring parameters of the composting process of this mixture with organic solid waste. Biodegradation was determined from the visual assessment of the material, monitoring parameters such as pH, temperature, humidity and organic matter, being recorded in an electronic spreadsheet for descriptive analysis. The results obtained, when compared to the control composting unit, indicate a lower biological activity on the compost, consequently, a greater resistance to biodegradation. After three weeks of composting, it was difficult to identify the material and after four weeks, it was not possible to identify the biopolymer, indicating its biodegradation and incorporation into the substrate. It was observed that the material showed changes in its mechanical properties during composting. It is concluded that the material is totally biodegradable in all malt bagasse compositions, under composting conditions.

Investigating the properties of sprayed insulating cementitious materials with corn cobs

As the mining depth increases, the underground space will face more serious thermal hazards. By using corn cobs, an agricultural waste, to prepare cementitious insulation materials, active insulation layers are constructed by injecting insulation materials into underground spaces using cementitious material spraying techniques. This article designed the ratios of corn cob sprayed cementitious materials and analyzed the changes in the properties of the materials obtained by adding 0–25% of corn cobs. The results of the study showed that the addition of different proportions of corn cobs improved the thermal insulation properties of the material by 6.9%-75.5% as compared to the ordinary mortar material. The mechanical properties became 25.9%-113.6% of the original. When the corn cob is wetted for more than 10 min, the fluidity of the material is sufficient to reach the minimum standard for spraying operations. Considering the comprehensive performance of the material, it is concluded that the wetting time of 30 min, the addition of corn cob 20%, the corn cob particle size of 200 mesh, and the amount of sand doping of 40% are the optimal ratios of the studied corn cob spraying cementitious materials. The study of corn cob lightweight thermal insulation spray cementitious material is of great significance for controlling the ambient temperature in deep underground space, promoting cleaner production and improving the use of environmental resources.

Fingerprinting Ceramics from the Chalcolithic Santa Vitória Enclosure (SW Iberia)

The Santa Vitória Chalcolithic site (southern Portugal) prompts several questions related to the provenance and production technology of artefacts. Archaeological ceramics from two sections of Ditch 1 of the Santa Vitória site were studied by neutron activation analysis and X-ray diffraction for the first time, with the main goal of contributing to the contextualization of the artefacts and better understanding their production processes/technologies and the provenance of raw materials. The results point to a local production of ceramics, since their mineral phases reflect the geological contexts around the archaeological site. The mineralogical assemblage indicates a firing temperature below 850 °C. Iron is the better discriminator of ceramics from both sections, which could be related to the addition of different proportions of temper grains during the ceramics’ production. Although trace elements do not serve as discriminating geochemical indicators for the analyzed samples, they do imply a slightly higher heterogeneity in the composition of the ceramic paste from section 2. The negative Eu anomaly found in two samples is in accordance with the lower contents of Na2O, related to plagioclase weathering. Detailed studies on ceramics and potential raw materials are foreseen to assist in discussing the role of this Chalcolithic archaeological site at a regional level.

Physical-mechanical properties of MDP panels with the addition of melamine paper in the internal layer

Particleboard panels find extensive application in the furniture sector, but their low stability in contact with water hinders their utilization. Simultaneously, the trimmings of melamine paper, exhibiting hydrophobic properties, used in panel finishing, represent unused industrial waste. This study aimed to evaluate the physical-mechanical properties of MDP (Medium Density Particleboard) panels produced with Pinus taeda and castor oil-based polyurethane resin with the addition of different proportions of melamine paper (0, 5, and 10%). The properties of density, moisture content, thickness swelling, water absorption, static bending, internal bonding, and screw withdrawal resistance, on face and top, were evaluated, following normative documents. At the end of the tests, statistical analysis was conducted at a 5% significance level to check any statistical differences among the means. The addition of melamine paper caused to an increase in panel density and moisture content, but all treatments remained within the ideal range. Thickness swelling and water absorption decreased, while all mechanical properties improved with an increase in the quantity of added melamine paper. Therefore, the use of melamine paper in MDP panels is viable and beneficial, notably the treatment with a 10% addition of melamine paper.

Recovery of iron phosphate from secondary sludge by ascorbic and citric acids

Iron (Fe) derived substances are widely used in the removal of phosphorus (P) in the wastewater treatment process. In the waste activated sludge, through the sequential P and Fe extraction, inorganic P accounted for 90.3% of the total P, which was extracted mainly in Fe(III)-P, Fe(II)-P and Al-P pools, and they account for 82.5% of the total P. The Fe (III) and Fe (II) combined with P mainly formed amorphous FerPO4(OH)3r-3 and vivianite, accounting for 39.0% and 43.5% of total Fe, respectively. By adding different reducing agents (ascorbic acid, cysteine, oxalate) and complexing agents (ethylene diamine tetra acetic, nitrous triacetic acid, citric acid) and adjusting the pH to 3.0, this study found that citric acid presented the best performance on P release, releasing 46.2% of the total P. Ascorbic acid presented the best performance for Fe release, with a releasing efficiency of the 68.1% of the total Fe. The addition of different proportions of ascorbic acid and citric acid to the sludge, along with pH adjustment. It was found that the maximum P release (70.8% of total P) was obtained with the VC/Cit ratio of 0.2/0.8. The high P release can be attributed to the co-effect of the reduction of Fe(III) by VC and the complexation of Fe and Al by Cit. The released P and Fe could be recovered by thermally induced precipitation to high purity FePO4 with a P recovery of 53.4%, which is a main precursor for LiFePO4. This study provides a new direction for the recovery and utilization of P from sludge.

Ash fusion characteristics of iron‐rich coal in Xinjiang under different atmospheres and the influence mechanism of adding red mud and pipeline scale

AbstractTo realize the high‐efficiency utilization of iron‐rich coal, it is necessary to conduct in‐depth research on the ash fusion characteristics and regulation mechanism. In this paper, the ash fusion temperature test of iron‐rich coal in Xinjiang (ZC) under different atmospheres was first carried out. Then, red mud (HJ) from Huajin Aluminum Industry and black water pipe scale (GDG) were selected as the additives. After the same ashing procedure, the two additives were mixed with iron‐rich coal ash in different proportions to realize the regulation of the chemical composition of the coal ash to improve the ash fusion characteristic. The ash fusion temperature (AFT) experiment was carried out in the automatic ash melting point analyzer, and high‐temperature ash melting slags at different temperatures were prepared. The mineral phases of coal ash and slag were characterized by XRD and compared with the Factsage simulation calculation results to reveal the influence mechanism of coal ash fusion temperature. The result shows that the fusion temperature of ZC iron‐rich coal ash is significantly different between oxidizing atmosphere and weak reducing atmosphere. Compared with the oxidizing atmosphere, the four characteristic temperatures of ZC iron‐rich coal ash are significantly lower under weak reducing conditions, and the difference is about 150°C. The addition of red mud and pipeline scale increased the fusion temperature of ZC coal ash to varying degrees. The addition of HJ ash has little effect on the deformation temperature of ZC coal ash, while the addition of different proportions of HJ ash significantly increases the flow temperature of ZC coal ash. When the addition ratio of HJ ash is 40%, the flow temperature FT of ZC coal ash increases most obviously, which is about 50°C. The addition of HJ ash and GDG ash will lead to an increase in the content of iron‐containing spinel, thereby increasing the ash flow temperature.

Assessing the performance of concrete made with recycled latex gloves and silicone catheter using ultrasonic pulse velocity

Significant advances in concrete technology in modern times have prompted the search for environmentally friendly materials that could improve the properties of concrete. The inclusion of recyclable materials to conventional concrete can help in conserving key resources and produce environmentally friendly concrete. The incorporation of latex gloves and silicone catheter waste in concrete is one of the most important approaches to minimize the environmental problems associated with their disposal. In this study, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of using latex gloves and silicone catheter waste as a substitute for coarse aggregates in concrete mixes. Concrete which was made with latex gloves and silicone catheter waste were subjected to UPV evaluations, i.e., ultrasonic pulse velocity tests at 28 curing days. Compressive strength and workability tests were also performed for reference and compared to the replacement sample. The inclusion of latex gloves and silicone catheter waste in proportions of 2.5%, 5%, 7.5 and 10% decreased the UPV values of the concrete. The results showed that the UPV values of the concrete decreased significantly from excellent to very good to poor for all specimens as the proportion of silicone catheters and latex gloves increased. The results showed that the addition of different proportions of latex gloves and silicone catheters decreased the compressive strength of the concrete by 86% and 59%, respectively, when the proportion of latex gloves and silicone catheters in the concrete mix was replaced by 10%. In addition, the fresh concrete property of concrete containing latex gloves and silicone catheters was decreased by 22% and 53%, respectively, when the proportion of latex gloves and silicone catheters was replaced by 10%. This study helps to raise environmental awareness by improving understanding of the waste generated and the importance of reusing waste as a substitute in concrete mixes.

Structure and properties of ZrO2-Al2O3-MgO porous ceramic for biomedical applications

Starch consolidation casting (SCC), which involves pouring starch-containing slurries into an impermeable mould, is a flexible, easy, not harmful, not expensive, and firmly established method for manufacturing ceramic green structures. The procedure depends on the fact that the starch granules, when heated to about 80 °C, start to swell and absorb the water from the ceramic slurries. Following sintering, the starch granules have been completely destroyed by burning, resulting in the formation of porous-structured ceramics. In the current study, porous zirconia-alumina–magnesia (77.5 wt% ZrO2, 2.5 wt% MgO, and 20 wt% Al2O3) ceramic composites have been produced using starch consolidation casting method at different suspension concentration (60, 65, and 70 wt%). Potato or tapioca starches with varying quantities (10, 20, and 30 wt% related to the solid ceramics) were used as a pore and body forming agents. The sintered microstructures were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, the research activity investigates how the apparent density and apparent porosity of the porous ceramic structure that has been produced are affected by the addition of different proportions of starches in different suspension concentrations. The XRD result after sintering reveals monoclinic zirconia, indicating that the tetragonal phase of zirconia is not stabilized by MgO and returns to monoclinic upon cooling. Magnesia does not act as a stabilizer for zirconia, but it is combined with alumina to produce a spinel structure. Maximum apparent porosity value of around 73% were demonstrated for porous-structured ceramics made with (30 wt%) potato starch and (60 wt%) suspension concentration. The SEM analysis of porous-structured ceramics revealed the presence of pore fills in the shape of miniature sintered ceramic shells within the pores. These shells form throughout the drying and burn-out processes, when the starch granules undergo a process that causes them to shrink. For nominal starch quantities of approximately 10 wt%, starch swelling is noticeable, and the pores left behind by sintering are bigger than the starch granules. Swelling is limited for greater amounts of starch by the amount of available space and/or water, and the matrix shrinkage that occurs during sintering more than compensates for the swelling impact, resulting in ceramic pores much smaller than the initial starch granule size. SEM and high-pressure mercury porosimetry results indicated that the prepared porous-structured ceramics have a bimodal pore structure. The maximum compressive strength at around 15.87 MPa for a sample containing 10 wt% tapioca starch and 70 wt% suspension concentration. Compressive strength drastically reduced when starch content increased from 10 to 30 wt% and suspension concentration reduced from 70 to 60 wt%.

Potential of biochar integrated manganese sulfate for promoting pig manure compost humification and its biological mechanism

This study aimed to clarify the effect of the integrated addition of different proportions of biochar (0 and 5%) and MnSO4 (0, 0.25%, and 0.50%) to pig manure compost. The results indicated the integrated use of biochar (BC) and Mn2+ advanced the compost humification. In particular, the integrated use of 0.50% Mn2+ and 5% BC showed higher total organic carbon degradation (20.67%) and humic acid production (81.26 g kg−1) than other treatments. Microbial community analysis showed the integrated use of BC and Mn2+ regulated the diversity and community structure of organic matter-mineralizing microbes by maintaining the relative abundance of bacteria Firmicutes (54.62%) and Proteobacteria (38.05%) at high levels during the thermophilic period and boosting those of the fungi of Ascomycota (58.91%) and Actinobacteria (15.60%) during the maturity period of composting. This study illustrated the potential and biological mechanisms of integrating BC and Mn2+ as additives in compost humification.

Stabilization of Active Soils Using Nanomaterial: Effect on Index Properties and Free swell

In this study the effect of nanomaterial as an additive on the index properties of active soil with various water; nanomaterial mix ratios have been presented. Active soil samples containing mixtures of water to nanomaterial of 1:250, 1:200, 1:150, 1:100 and 1:50 was prepared and the shrinkage limit, liquid limit, plasticity index, plastic limit, and free swell index were conducted using common engineering standards. Statistical test results show significant effect on free swell at 95% confidence limit in addition of different proportions of nanomaterial to the active soil. Using nanomaterial as stabilizer decreases the index properties of soil except plastic limit. The results show that liquid limit, decreased from 63.2% - 47.9%, plasticity index dropped from 43.0% - 24% and shrinkage limit values dropped from 9.6% - 6.8% with increase in nanomaterial percentage respectively. However, plastic limit results obtained increased from 20.6% - 25.4% with the increase nanomaterial percentage. The test show that nanomaterials reduce the free swell, thus changed the swell potential from above average to moderate.

Investigation of the Effect of Plasticizer Additive Ratio on the Abrasion Resistance of Concretes

In today's technology, there are various chemical additives that shape the fresh or hardened properties of concrete. Chemical additives can be added alone or by using several additives together in order to obtain the desired concrete properties. Usage dosages are chosen in such a way that they can meet the desired performance criteria and at the same time do not impair the fresh and hardened qualities of the concrete. In this study, physical, mechanical and durability properties of concretes produced by using chemical additives in different proportions were investigated. In the production of concrete samples, the water / cement ratio and cement amount were kept constant at 0.5 and 350 kg / m3, respectively. 0-4mm grain size crushed sand and 4-16 mm grain size aggregate are used as aggregate. The plasticizer used as a chemical additive was added at the rate of 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2% depending on the amount of cement. Concrete samples of 150x150x150 mm for compressive strength, archimedes weighing and 71x71x71 mm for abrasion tests were produced for use in experimental studies. After the concrete samples have been removed from the mold, they have been cured in the standard curing pool at a temperature of 20 ± 2 ° C for 7 and 28 days. Concrete samples have been subjected to archimedes, capillary water absorption, ultrasound transition rate, boh (wear), schmidt and compressive strength tests. The compressive strength of 7 and 28 days old concrete samples was determined. Physical properties such as water absorption percentage, porosity, unit weight, ultrasound transition rate, and weight losses in the wear test were measured only for samples of 28 days. The values with the lowest water absorption and porosity percentages were seen in the sample containing 1% plasticizer additive as 3,18% and 9,32% respectively. Ultrases transition velocity, schmidt test hammer and the highest compressive strength values were observed in the 28-day sample containing 1% plasticizer additive as 4901 m/s, 26.1 and 57,14 MPa, respectively. With the increase of the chemical additive ratio, weight losses due to wear have decreased.

An Artificial Neural Network Based Prediction of Mechanical and Durability Characteristics of Sustainable Geopolymer Composite

Despite the growing environmental consequences of cement production, geopolymer concrete now has gradually evolved as an ecologically sustainable product. This study experimentally investigates the effect of addition of different proportions (0%, 10%, and 20%) of rice husk ash (RHA) and polypropylene (PP) fibers (0%, 0.1%, and 0.3%) on the mechanical and durability characteristics of fly ash (FA)‐based geopolymer mortars. The strength property is assessed by testing the mortar specimen by uniaxial compressive strength and flexural strength while the durability properties were tested with water absorption, water sorptivity, and acid (10% concentration of H2SO4) resistance tests. The experimental findings revealed that the PP fiber addition is not significant in improving the compressive strength, while the addition up to 0.3% by volume had shown good improvement in flexural behavior. Water absorption increases with an increment in the replacement proportion of RHA. Water sorptivity also increases with an increase in RHA substitution levels. Furthermore, an artificial neural network prototype was proposed in this work to forecast the mechanical and durability properties of fiber reinforced FA‐RHA blended geopolymer mortar. The ANN architecture was constructed utilizing the mechanical and durability characteristics of FA‐RHA blended geopolymer mortar procured through experimental investigation. The RHA substitution proportion, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) liquid concentration, and polypropylene fiber content have been employed as input parameters in the construction of ANN framework. The predicted strength values of mechanical and durability tests achieved from the ANN framework agree well with experiment results. Use of geopolymer mortar has a high potential in repairing the structural elements, and further studies can be done on applying this mortar for the repairs.

Mineralogical stabilization and morphology of hardystonite Petedunnite-Dicalcium silicate ternary mixtures

Zinc metal, charge carrier, incorporated into silicate phases can give them properties for specific applications; it appears a promising field to solve several problems associated with the use of this type of silicate materials. The aim of this study is to incorporate Zn from Zinc nitrate (Zn (NO3)2) into dicalcium silicate to produce novel cement containing hardystonite phase (Ca2ZnSi2O7) and Petedunnite phase (CaZnSi2O6). These phases were synthesized by solid state reaction. Samples were prepared by the addition of different proportions of 0%, 1%,2%,3% 5% of the nitrates of Zn to the reactants CaCO3 and SiO2 of ratio Ca/Si = 2, the synthesis was carried out by heating the finely ground mixtures at temperatures ranging from 500 to 1000 °C. XRD, FTIR and SEM were performed on the samples to characterize the mineralogical and microstructure proprieties. According to XRD results, the characterization of the developed phases indicates the formation of mixtures of C2S with Hardystonite Ca2ZnSi2O7 phase of the tetragonal crystal system and Petedunnite phase (CaZnSi2O6) of the monoclinic crystal system. The micrographs obtained by SEM and EDS analysis show that the addition of zinc from nitrate gives morphology of fine porous particles in the form of hexagonal platelets.

Modifications of the properties of a porcelain through the addition of niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5)

There is a gap in the literature regarding the influence of Nb2O5 on traditional ceramic masses. Thus, this work promoted the addition of different proportions of this oxide in a porcelain composition in order to verify its effect on physical and microstructural properties. It was found that the addition of Nb2O5 reduced the apparent porosity of the composition at lower temperatures. The composition containing 5% in weight reached the characteristics of a porcelain at 1220 °C and the others reached these properties at 1240 °C. In addition, the secondary mullite obtained was in the form of more refined needles, although this characteristic has not statistically influenced the mechanical strength and the pyroplasticity index. The addition of Nb2O5 caused darkening of the pieces due to the reduction of material absorption in the visible region. The results of chemical microanalysis by Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated that crystals of Nb2O5 was found to be dispersed in the glass phase, without the formation of a new crystalline phase.

Effect of Fly Ash and Cement on the Engineering Characteristic of Stabilized Subgrade Soil: An Experimental Study

The effectiveness of the use of waste fly ash (FA) and cement (OPC) in the stabilization of subgrade soils and the reasons likely to influence the degree of stabilization were investigated. Incorporating waste fly ash (FA) and cement (OPC) as additives leads to significant environmental and economic contributions to soil stabilization. This study involves laboratory tests to obtain the Atterberg limit, free swell index (FSI), the unconfined compressive strength (UCS), the California bearing ratio (CBR), and the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The test results for the subgrade soil illustrate that the Atterberg limit, plasticity index, and free swell index are decreasing with the addition of different proportions of fly ash and cement, i.e., 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% and 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%, respectively. The CBR value of untreated soil is 2.91%, while the best CBR value of fly ash and cement mixture treated soil is 10.12% (20% FA+8% OPC), which increases 71.34% from the initial value. The UCS of untreated soil is 86.88 kPa and treated soil with fly ash and cement attains a maximum value of 167.75 kPa (20% FA+8% OPC), i.e., increases by 48.20% from the initial value. The tests result show that the stability of a subgrade soil can be improved by adding fly ash and cement. While effectiveness and usability of waste FA and cement are cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives to expansive soil for pavement and any other foundation work in the future.

Strength and durability of flyash, GGBS and cement clinker stabilized dispersive soil

Dispersive soils are highly susceptible to erosion due to higher sodium content, and it deflocculates in the presence of flowing water. Under saturated conditions, the attractive forces are less than the repulsive forces, and this will help the particle to segregate and to move in suspension. In this investigation, an attempt has been made to stabilize the dispersive soil with cement clinker, ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and flyash. Samples were prepared with the different predetermined proportions of dispersive soil, cement clinker, GGBS, and fly ash to determine the strength and durability of the stabilized soils. Results of unconfined compressive strength (UCS) are found to be increased significantly by mixing additives in different proportions. From the results of the UCS tests, the optimum mix proportion was obtained with the mixing of 20% of flyash, 15% of GGBS and 30% of cement clinker in dispersive soil. Outcomes of this study suggest that the combined mixture of cement clinker, flyash, and GGBS are more effective to improve the strength than an alone mix. To evaluate the effect of freeze-thaw cycles and water immersion aging on the strength properties of different mix proportion, 0, 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 cycles freeze-thaw tests and 32 days water immersion tests were done on cylindrical samples at 7, 14, 28, 60 and 90 days curing periods. A coefficient of strength loss/gain was also defined to determine the influence of freezing-thawing and water immersion aging on the durability of the mix proportion. The X-raydiffraction tests (XRD) divulge the formation of hydrated particles play a vital role to enhance the strength because of the reaction between the soil and the additives.

Pretreatment by composting increased the utilization proportion of pig manure biogas digestate and improved the seedling substrate quality.

Anaerobic digestion of organic residues has the potential to significantly contribute to a shift from fossil to renewable energy, while the remaining biogas digestate need to be treated or used for a second time. In this study, the pig manure biogas digestate (PMBD) was evaluated as a potential part of seedling substrates and composting was considered a pretreating method to improve its characters. Composting was carried out firstly in a forced aeration composting system (100 L), in which perlite and sawdust were used as additives in different proportions separately or together. Based on the comparison of the physicochemical characters of different seedling substrates formulas mixed with PMBD or pig manure biogas digestate pretreated by composting (CPMBD), selected seedling substrates were analyzed by bioassay experiment. The results showed that pretreatment by composting and the additives (perlite and sawdust) used in composting decreased the pH value of PMBD and make it suitable for seedling substrates, especially composted with perlite and sawdust. Both PMBD and CPMBD with low proportion in the substrates improved plant growth of lettuce and tomato, while CPMBD was better than PMBD. However, when the proportions of PMBD was increased more than 20% and CPMBD was increased more than 40%, plant growth inhibition was observed. Tomato was more sensitive than lettuce to the physicochemical characters of the substrate. In summary, PMBD pretreated by composting not only increases the uses of digestate, but also enhances plant growth and hence yield.

Rheological study of fluid flow model through computational flow dynamics analysis and its implications in mud hydraulics

Oil and Gas drilling is not a simple fundamental procedure, never the less it accounts many subsurface uncertainties to deal with. The primary objective of an efficient and optimized drilling program is to analyze the formation uncertainties and chose a systematic logical approach for pursue drilling operations to overcome any problem encountered. Wellbore stability is the most important and cardinal part of drilling i.e. 1. Maintaining wellbore stability limits the Non Productive Time (NPT) for a well and 2. Analyzing the GTO to select a logical and effective approach for drilling saves time and allows remedial measures to get prepared for instability if encountered. During the process of drilling, the stability of wellbore is achieved by minimizing the fractures across the wellbore, which will occur mainly due to imbalanced mechanical forces. If the stresses acting on the wellbore surfaces increases then there will be a chance of pipe stuck due to formation collapse, which makes the wellbore cleaning difficult. The present paper deals in accordance with developing an understanding of the problems associated with wellbore instabilities and focuses on designing of proper drilling fluids formulations to counter these problems. The major experiments conducted are for analysis of formulating mud, namely: a. KCL-Polymer mud system b. Salt saturated mud system. Designing of drilling fluid done for Water Based Mud Systems only using additives in different proportions to maximize control and ensure cost effectiveness of the mud. Apart from the above oil well cleaning has been approached by the Navier stoke’s equation, power model, continuity equation to develop a mathematical model to help us understand the lifting of the cuttings as a function of fluid viscosity, density, fluid velocity. This in turn helps us to generate the flow regimes near the wellbore around the tubing while transporting the cuttings. The phase of CFD analyses has initiated with the motto of understanding the flow models and verifying the graphs generated from the simulation on the conventional Software’s.

Mortar Based on Biomass Ashes from Araucanía Region

The COMASA S.A. power plant is located near Temuco and burns a high amount of residual biomass produced in the Araucanía region. However, the main problem associated with this plant is the transportation and disposal of fly ash (9 tons per week), a residue generated during the combustion of Boiler I. Currently, fly ashes from Boiler I are transported more than 200 km south, increasing transportation and final disposal costs. In this study, the development of a mortar based on fly ash from the combustion of biomass from COMASA S.A. was analysed at a pre-feasibility level. The experimental procedure consisted of (i) the physicochemical characterization of biomass fly ash, (ii) obtaining different test specimens (mortars) via the addition of different proportions of fly ash (10-35%) to cement, and (iii) obtaining the best specimen by analysing the requirements of mortars for construction purposes (Chilean Standard NCh 1037). The test specimens were subjected to determination of apparent density, compression resistance, water absorption capacity and moisture content. The laboratory results showed that the mortar obtained with the addition of 20% of fly ash has similar physical characteristics to mortars used for building blocks, proving capable of resisting up to 20 MPa. To analyse the viability of the production of construction blocks based on best specimen, market, technical and economic-financial studies were carried out, considering the reuse of at least 60% of the fly ash generated per year. The study concluded that the project was viable, evidencing the potential use of this residue for the manufacture of low-cost blocks, while minimizing the cost associated with residue handling.