Quaternary Blends Research Articles

Nanoconfinement Effect Enhances Stretchability and Mechanical Stability of Organic Photodetectors

AbstractOrganic photodetectors (OPDs) hold immense promise for stretchable and wearable applications, but their photoactive films demonstrate brittleness, stiffness, and mechanical instability, posing challenges for future applications. Herein, the nanoconfinement effect is reported to substantially improve the stretchability and mechanical stability while reducing the stiffness of photoactive films, simultaneously maintaining the high light detection performance. The microstructure, mechanical properties, and photoelectric performance of the quaternary blend films with varying elastomer contents are thoroughly characterized. Additionally, the elastic modulus of quaternary blends can be accurately predicted by the Coran–Patel model. Cyclic tensile tests demonstrate enhanced mechanical stability, resulting in a specific detectivity of the quaternary blend with the nanoconfinement effect being 19 times higher than that of the ternary blend after 200 cycles. Overall, this study provides novel insights into constructing stretchable blend films for wearable electronics.

Super Tough PA6/PP/ABS/SEBS Blends Compatibilized by a Combination of Multi-Phase Compatibilizers

Development of multi-component blends to prepare high-performance polymer materials is still challenging, and is a key technology for mechanical recycling of waste plastics. However, a multi-phase compatibilizer is prerequisite to create high-performance multi-component blends. In this study, POE-g-(MAH-co-St) and SEBS-g-(MAH-co-St) compatibilizers are prepared via melt-grafting of maleic anhydride (MAH) and styrene (St) dual monomers to polyolefin elastomer (POE) and poly [styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene] (SEBS), respectively. Subsequently, these compatibilizers are utilized to compatibilize the PA6/PP/ABS/SEBS quaternary blends through melt-blending. When POE-g-(MAH-co-St) and SEBS-g-(MAH-co-St) are added, respectively, both can promote the distribution of the dispersed phases, significantly reducing the dispersed phase size. When adding 10 wt% POE-g-(MAH-co-St) and 10 wt% SEBS-g-(MAH-co-St) together, compared to the non-compatibilized blend, the fracture strength, fracture elongation, and impact strength surprisingly increased by 106%, 593%, and 823%, respectively. It can be attributed to the hierarchical interfacial interactions which facilitate gradual energy dissipation from weak to strong interfaces, resulting in the improvement of mechanical properties. The synergistic effect of the enhanced phase interfacial interactions and toughening effect of elastomer compatibilizer achieved simultaneous growth in strength and toughness.

Toughening of Epoxy Systems by Adding Three Toughness Modifiers as Quaternary Blends of Polymeric Materials

Toughening of Epoxy Systems by Adding Three Toughness Modifiers as Quaternary Blends of Polymeric Materials

Sustainable utilization of phosphorus-rich sludge in cement composites: Multiscale evaluation and mechanistic analysis

The treatment of sludge poses challenges for resource utilization and environmental protection, and utilizing sludge as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) presents a viable solution. However, the phosphorus content significantly influences the cement hydration process. This study primarily investigates the feasibility of phosphorus-rich sludge (PRS) as SCMs and examines the effects of combining PRS with calcined clay on cement hydration. The research focuses on hydration heat, mechanical properties, microstructure, and durability of composites comprised of PRS, limestone, calcined clay, and ordinary Portland cement. The results indicate that PRS delays early hydration reactions, leading to a decrease in early compressive strength; after 7 days, the compressive strength is approximately 14.3 MPa (sample S20C10L15). However, over time, the strength increases to 34.1 MPa at 28 days, reflecting a 138.5 % increase compared to the 7-day compressive strength (with sample OPC exhibiting only 69.1 %). This correlates with the hydration exothermic peak occurring in the later stages and the transition of phosphorus's effect on cement hydration from inhibitory to non-inhibitory. The phosphorus in PRS partially replaces silicon atoms in C-(A)-S-H gel, forming C-S(A,P)-H gel. This process refines pore sizes within PRS cementitious materials, enhancing compressive strength over time. Early hydration inhibition and the subsequent pozzolanic reaction of PRS reduce portlandite content, which lowers carbonation durability and thermal expansion coefficient. However, the quaternary blend of PRS, limestone, calcined clay, and ordinary Portland cement demonstrates excellent mechanical properties. This study provides experimental evidence for reducing the environmental impact of PRS and exploring carbon reduction strategies in the cement industry.

Waste-recovered quaternary blends: Enhancing engine performance through hydrogen induction by varied injection timing and pressure for sustainable practices

This study explores sustainable energy solutions by utilizing waste-recovered quaternary blends of Scenedesmus obliquus, waste plastics, n-octanol, and hydrogen induction to enhance engine performance. This research aims to address this imperative by proposing a novel blend that not only repurposes waste materials but also leverages hydrogen induction to augment the combustion characteristics of a single cylinder Kirloskar engine's injection timing and injection pressure. The waste plastic is recovered by the pyrolysis method and Scenedesmus obliquus by the transesterification process. The study revealed that out of all the blends, the fuel at 23° before Top Dead Center (bTDC) and 210 bar outperformed all blends with 1.99% better brake thermal efficiency than diesel. The lowest brake specific energy consumption observed was 10.753.35 MJ/kW-hr at 23° bTDC and 240 bar injection pressure, which was 160.38 kJ/kW-hr higher than diesel. Fuel Injection Timing at 23° bTDC at 170 bar shows a 42 ppm decrease for Scenedesmus Obliquus Waste Plastic Octanol 50% (SOWPOCT50) mix compared to diesel. At fuel injection timing (FIT) timing, 23° bTDC and a pressure of 240 bar Injection Pressure (IP), the SOWPOCT50 mixture lowered 0.097 g/h Carbon Monoxide (CO) concentration to diesel. This enormous increase in efficiency and reduction in emission paved a potential replacement source for neat diesel towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

Synergising hybrid short fibres and composite cements for sustainable and efficient textile-reinforced concrete composites

Under the raising concerns over the environmental impacts of construction materials, including reinforced concrete, there has been a recent growing focus on the application of innovative Textile Reinforced Concrete (TRC) composites to the repair of existing deteriorated structures or to developing slender structural components. Aiming to further increase the attractiveness of TRCs, we focus on the development of low-carbon, cost-effective and ductile TRCs from Alkali Resistant (AR)-Glass textiles and composite cements with a focus on the reduction of the clinker content and incorporation of short fibres into the TRC matrix. Quaternary blends of cement and Supplementary Cementitious Materials combined with single and hybrid short fibres of alkali-resistant glass, Polyvinyl alcohol, and polypropylene, are considered for this purpose. The role of these in controlling the post-cracking response, load carrying capacity and mechanical behaviour of TRCs is investigated. These followed by an environmental and cost analysis show that the developed TRCs exhibit significant improvement in ductility and nonlinear response, and reduction in cost and embodied carbon compared to those available in the literature. It is also shown that the hybridisation of short fibres allows manipulating the performance, carbon footprint, and cost of hybrid TRCs.

Reduction of Fossil Fuel Usage and Emissions of Diesel Engines by the Application of Quaternary Blends and Varied Fuel Injection Pressures.

The increasing energy demand has led to the exhaustion of mineral fuel resources and an environmental menace. Biodiesel and alcohol, as oxygenated fuels, offer promising potential for diesel engines. Moreover, the deviation in the fuel injection pressure (IP) favors improvement of the engine performance and reduction of flue gases. The contemporary research aims to explore sustainable biofuel that is an alternative to diesel and to achieve cleaner emissions with enhanced engine performance. The experiment involves testing of a diesel engine tank by quaternary blends comprising diesel, sunflower biodiesel, sunflower oil, and alcohol in the volumetric ratio of 50:25:5:20. The IP was varied from 300, 400, 500, to 600 bar at different engine loads of 10 and 20 N m at 1800 rpm of shaft speed. The quality of the quaternary blend was varied by the inclusion of alcohol having different carbon-chain lengths, namely, ethanol, propanol, butanol, heptanol, and decanol. The effect of alcohol inclusion and variation in the IP led to minimal brake-specific fuel consumption and maximal brake thermal efficiency for blended fuel containing 20% propanol, which was 17.39% lower and 8.70% higher than diesel, respectively. The same composition of the fuel blend offered the lowest smoke and CO2 emissions, which were 92.85 and 27.9% lesser than diesel; moreover, 7.36% lower NO x emission than diesel was achieved.

Induction furnace slag as fine and coarse aggregate in quaternary blended self-compacting concrete: A comprehensive study on durability and performance

This research explores the innovative use of Induction Furnace slag Aggregate (IF-slag) as both fine and coarse aggregates in Quaternary Blended Self-Compacting Concrete (QBSCC) mixes, an area that has received limited attention in previous studies. The primary aim is to compare the durability characteristics of QBSCC mixes containing natural aggregate versus those incorporating IF-slag aggregate. A total of 18 SCC mixes were prepared in two groups: one using natural aggregate and the other using IF-slag aggregate. Each group consisted of eight optimized QBSCC mixes alongside a reference SCC mix. The QBSCC mixes were formulated using Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) with Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCM) such as Silica Fume (SF), Class F-Fly Ash (FAF), and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS). Previous work by the authors analysed the fresh and mechanical properties of these QBSCC mixes. This study assesses various durability properties, including water absorption, permeable pore volume, absorption coefficient sorptivity, ultrasonic pulse velocity, resistance to chloride ion penetration, electrical resistivity, and thermal conductivity. Experimental findings indicate that SCC prepared with IF-slag exhibited inferior durability performance compared to natural aggregate. However, regardless of aggregate type, QBSCC mixes outperformed the SCC mix containing 100% OPC. Notably, the SCC-47.5 (OPC)/52.5(SCM) QBSCC mix demonstrated significant improvements in durability properties, achieving a reduction of 25% in water absorption, 24% in permeable pore volume, 48% in absorption coefficient, and 46% in sorptivity. QBSCC mixes also exhibited resistance to chloride ion penetration and enhanced electrical resistivity. Moreover, using quaternary blends reduced the thermal conductivity and improved the energy efficiency.

Impact of injection pressure on the performance, emissions, and combustion of a common rail direct injection engine fueled with quaternary blends

The scarcity and rising costs of fossil fuels, coupled with increasing pollution levels, have prompted the exploration of innovative biofuel blends. While binary and ternary fuels have been studied extensively in proportions of 5–20%, replacing up to 30–40% of fossil fuel dependency without significant engine modifications remains a challenge. One potential solution is to investigate an optimal quaternary blend (QB) through experimental methods. This study investigates the impact of increased injection pressure (IOP) and quaternary fuel blends on a common rail direct injection (CRDI) engine's performance and emissions. Different blends, including diesel fuel, vegetable oil, mahua methyl ester and normal-butanol, were tested to replace 30–40% of diesel and enhance combustion, reduce exhaust emissions and improve overall performance. Experiments used a 1-cylinder CRDI engine at high IOPs (400, 500, 600 and 700 bar). Results at 600 bar IOP showed that the optimal blend, QB3–QB4, increased brake thermal efficiency (BTE) by 9% and reduced brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) by approximately 11% compared to other blends. Emissions at 600 bar included a 16% reduction in hydrocarbons (HC) and a 24% decrease in carbon monoxide (CO) at full load. However, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions slightly increased with higher IOP. Significantly employing the QB3–QB4 blend at 600 bar improved control over HC, CO and smoke emissions. Overall, performance was enhanced and comparable to conventional diesel fuel, with only a minor increase in NOx emissions.

Experimental study of quaternary blends with diesel/palm-oil biodiesel/ethanol/diethyl ether for optimum performance and emissions in a light-duty diesel engine using response surface methodology

Quaternary fuel blend consisting of diesel, palm-oil biodiesel (POB), diethyl ether (DEE), and ethanol is a promising low-carbon fuel solution for diesel engines. In this study, the effects of DEE, ethanol, and engine load on the brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and unburned hydrocarbons (UHCs) emissions of a light-duty diesel engine were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Desirability-based response surface methodology (RSM) optimization was then employed to determine the optimum quaternary fuel blend. The desired optimum quaternary fuel blend was found to be 6.78 vol% DEE and 20.00 vol% ethanol at an operating engine load and speed of 31.36 % and 2000 rpm, respectively. The engine out responses of BSFC and NOx, CO, and UHCs emissions for the optimal solution were 490.58 g/kWh, 326.84 ppm, 0.300 vol%, and 156.95 ppm, respectively. Validation of the optimized parameters was conducted through actual engine experiments and the errors were less than 5 %. The results suggest that the optimum quaternary blend can be a cleaner alternative for light-duty diesel engine applications.

Chemical symphony: Unraveling triatomine aggregation and attraction patterns for innovative pest control solutions

Aggregation is a spatial distribution pattern where individuals can be grouped through interaction with particular signals or cues [e.g., chemical substances]. Numerous triatomine species exhibit attraction and aggregation around both conspecific and heterospecific feces. It remains unclear whether compounds released by feces function as signals (pheromones or synomones) or cues. Employing a bioassay that mimics field conditions, we investigated the response of Triatoma pallidipennis bugs to volatiles present in its feces and blends of these compounds. Our findings indicate that short-chain aldehydes, namely nonanal, octanal, heptanal, and hexanal, attract fifth-instar nymphs. Furthermore, insects responded to individual compounds as well as secondary, ternary, and quaternary blends. The most attractive blend consisted of all four aldehydes. Additionally, quaternary blends at various compound ratios attracted fifth-instar nymphs of T. phyllosoma and T. longipennis. We discuss the potential roles of these compounds as signals or cues and explore their application as bait in control programs.

Effect of chloride binding and sulfate ion attack on the chloride diffusion in calcium sulfoaluminate-based material under seawater environment

The diffusion of chloride ions in reinforced concrete under the seawater environment will affect the physical or mechanical properties and durability. Sulfate ions also influence the diffusion of chloride ions by generating expansion products through physical and chemical reactions. Further research on the effects of chloride binding and sulfate ion attack on chloride ion diffusion will deepen the understanding of concrete failure mechanism. In this paper, a quaternary blend based on calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement was prepared and laboratory immersion tests were conducted in artificial seawater with varying salt concentrations. Initially, chloride ion concentration measurements and XRD tests were conducted at different corrosion ages and salt concentrations. Subsequently, the chloride binding properties of CSA-based materials was quantified through the analysis of chloride ion concentration and the phases of hydration products. Meanwhile, the corrosive effect of sulfate ions on chloride ion diffusion was determined corresponds to the content of expansive hydration products. Furthermore, numerical simulations were employed to evaluate the impact of sulfate ion corrosion, chloride binding, and their combined effects on chloride ion diffusion, and the results were compared with free chloride ion concentration (Cf). The results indicate that the total chloride ion concentration (Ct) exhibits a linear relationship with increasing salt concentrations of seawater in CSA-based materials. Meanwhile, the bound chloride ion concentration (Cb) follows a logarithmic growth pattern. The chloride binding rate experiences a linear decline with the increase of chloride ion concentration in the artificial seawater. Additionally, the relationship between Cf and Cb or Ct can be described using different isothermal adsorption models for the CSA-based materials. Among these models, the Langmuir model is suitable for characterizing the relationship between Cf and Cb, while the Freundlich model is suitable for describing the relationship between Cf and Ct. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that sulfate ion attack and chloride binding exert nearly equivalent effects on the diffusion of chloride ions in CSA-based materials at short corrosion age and low chloride ion concentration. However, the corrosive impact of sulfate ions gradually evolves into the dominant factor in the progression of corrosion over time and the increase in seawater salt concentration.

Comparative Analysis of Gradient-Boosting Ensembles for Estimation of Compressive Strength of Quaternary Blend Concrete

Concrete compressive strength is usually determined 28 days after casting via crushing of samples. However, the design strength may not be achieved after this time-consuming and tedious process. While the use of machine learning (ML) and other computational intelligence methods have become increasingly common in recent years, findings from pertinent literatures show that the gradient-boosting ensemble models mostly outperform comparative methods while also allowing interpretable model. Contrary to comparison with other model types that has dominated existing studies, this study centres on a comprehensive comparative analysis of the performance of four widely used gradient-boosting ensemble implementations [namely, gradient-boosting regressor, light gradient-boosting model (LightGBM), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and CatBoost] for estimation of the compressive strength of quaternary blend concrete. Given components of cement, Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS), Fly Ash, water, superplasticizer, coarse aggregate, and fine aggregate in addition to the age of each concrete mixture as input features, the performance of each model based on R2, RMSE, MAPE and MAE across varying training–test ratios generally show a decreasing trend in model performance as test partition increases. Overall, the test results showed that CatBoost outperformed the other models with R2, RMSE, MAE and MAPE values of 0.9838, 2.0709, 1.5966 and 0.0629, respectively, with further statistical analysis showing the significance of these results. Although the age of each concrete mixture was found to be the most important input feature for all four boosting models, sensitivity analysis of each model shows that the compressive strength of the mixtures does increase significantly after 100 days. Finally, a comparison of the performance with results from different ML-based methods in pertinent literature further shows the superiority of CatBoost over reported the methods.

Green engineered cementitious composites with enhanced tensile and flexural properties at elevated temperatures

This study provides new insights in the design of green hybrid polyethylene (PE)-steel fibre reinforced high strength engineered cementitious composite (HSECC) with superior tensile and flexural strength at both ambient and elevated temperatures. Blends of high volume of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), dolomite powder and fly ash were utilized to achieve a 60 % cement replacement for the HSECC mixes. These mixes were then exposed to 20–600 °C and a total of 210 specimens were tested to assess their residual tensile stress–strain behaviour, flexural load–displacement response, and toughness. Results indicate that high volume of GGBFS can be very effective in limiting the surface damage and retaining high strength at elevated temperatures. A combination of 1.5 % PE-0.75 % steel with quaternary blend of GGBFS, dolomite and fly ash demonstrated at least 60 % and 40 % retention in tensile and flexural strength at 600 °C, respectively. This was significantly better than the strength of the traditional control silica fume mix considered in this study as well as results reported in many previous literatures on HSECC. Microstructural examination was further conducted to understand the mechanism of fibre deterioration and justify the resulting change in pseudo-hardening behaviour with temperature rise. Findings obtained in this study clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of PE-steel fibre hybridisation at elevated temperature and confirmed that with right binder selection, superior tensile and flexural performance can be achieved even with a very high cement replacement level.

Effect of different quaternary blends of diesel-ethanol-methanol-butanol on combustion and spray characteristics of diesel engine

Effect of different quaternary blends of diesel-ethanol-methanol-butanol on combustion and spray characteristics of diesel engine

Chemical Mechanisms Involved in the Coupled Attack of Sulfate and Chloride Ions on Low-Carbon Cementitious Materials: An In-Depth Study

This study aims to analyze the individual and combined chemical attacks of sulfate and chloride ions on cementitious materials and assess the efficiency of some selected additives (fly ash, blast furnace slag, and metakaolin) in countering this combined attack. This research is conducted in the context of construction in marine environments, where reinforced concrete structures are often subject to significant challenges due to early exposure to sulfate and chloride ions. This early exposure results in concrete expansion, cracking, and, ultimately, the corrosion of steel reinforcements. Nevertheless, the interaction between sulfate ions, chloride ions, and the cementitious matrix remains poorly understood. Previous research has drawn conflicting conclusions, with some suggesting that sulfate ions mitigate chloride attacks, while others have come to the opposite conclusion. During this study, experimental investigations were conducted by immersing powders obtained from crushed ordinary Portland cement (CEM I) paste specimens, as well as binary, ternary, and quaternary blends, in sulfate, chloride, and sulfate–chloride solutions over the course of 25 days at an early age. Results from different characterization techniques (thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, etc.) indicate that chloride ions delay the formation of ettringite, while the presence of sulfate ions accelerates the chloride attack by limiting the formation of Friedel’s salt. The Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry test confirmed these results by showing a pronounced increase in specimens’ porosity after exposure to solely sulfate after 25 days, compared to the ones exposed to both sulfate and chloride ions. Furthermore, the incorporation of multiple additives, particularly in ternary and quaternary blends, demonstrates the enhanced durability of the studied samples. This was confirmed by a Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy analysis, which indicated a delayed ettringite formation in these mixtures. This delay was further affirmed by the complete depletion of sulfate ions in the sulfate solutions upon contact with powders derived from the 100% CEM I paste.

Macroscopic spray behavior in pressurized chamber alongside thermal performance of quaternary castor biodiesel with butanol and 1-butoxybutane

Biofuels derived from non-edible resources such as castor biodiesel have gained considerable attention. However, a combined spray and performance analysis of ternary and quaternary blends of castor biodiesel has not been performed. Hence, we investigated the effect of butanol and 1-butoxybutane on castor biodiesel. Macroscopic spray properties at 500 &1000 bar injection and 2 & 8 bar chamber pressures were investigated, while the performance was evaluated in diesel engine under 4 different loads ranging from 1.43 kW to 4.23 kW. Spray analysis revealed that the 20% castor biodiesel blend on average showed the maximum variation from diesel with difference of +7.24% for penetration length, −13.51% for spray cone angle and −10.12% for spray area. The quaternary blend with 10% butanol and 1-butoxybutane on average showed the least variation from diesel in terms of spray penetration (+2.07%), cone angle (−1.21%) and area (−2.11%). All the fuels showed greater fuel consumption than diesel except BB10BT10 (−2.5%) which also had better thermal efficiency (+1.72%). Hence, BB10BT10 had the optimum performance and spray quality among the tested fuels. The findings will be helpful for environmentally friendly and economically viable renewable energy sources based on castor biodiesel.

Performance Evaluation of a CI Engine Using Binary, Ternary, and Quaternary Bio-Diesel Fuel Blends

The present study utilizes dual biodiesel-alcohol blends to evaluate the engine performance. Five test fuels were prepared on a volume basis with different constituting percentages, each consisting of 70 % pure diesel (D70), a binary blend of biodiesel: B1 (WCO30), a ternary blend of biodiesel: B2 (WCO15 and WCCO15) and three quaternary blends: B3 (WCO10, WCCO15, Bu5), B4 (WCO15, WCCO10, Bu5) and B5 (WCO10, WCCO10, Bu10). The biodiesel is made from used cooking oil. The effects of each blend on engine performance were examined by performing the engine test on a single-cylinder, four-stroke, water-cooled Kirloskar compression ignition (CI) engine at various engine speeds and loads. The indicated power (IP), brake power (BP), friction power (FP), fuel consumption (FC), and mechanical efficiency (%) were evaluated, and the experimental results show that the performance is best for B3 when run with 75 % of the maximum load capacity of the engine. The study thus justifies that to lower the density and viscosity of biodiesel fuel, adding alcohol can be acknowledged as a valuable application to boost the engine's brake thermal efficiency (BTE). This also lowers the emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrocarbons (HC).

Emission Reduction and Performance Enhancement of CI Engine Propelled by Neem Biodiesel-Neem Oil-Decanol-Diesel Blends at High Injection Pressure

Diesel emissions have resulted in air pollution, which is harmful to the sustaining of life. The concerns of energy security and poor air quality have propelled researchers to seek alternate and environment-friendly fuels for the transport sector, keeping diesel engines at the core. Thus, a quaternary blend (diesel-biodiesel-vegetable oil-alcohol) proves to be a promising key to address the above problems. This experimental work focuses aims on investigating the performance and emissions of a diesel engine powered with quaternary blends by changing the fuel injection pressure. The quaternary blend comprised of diesel, neem biodiesel, pure neem oil, and decanol was used to prepare quaternary blends of varied volumetric proportions. This study involves the testing of quaternary blends at varied fuel injection pressure (IP) ranging from 400–500 bar. The engine load varied from 10 Nm to 20 Nm, and the shaft speed was constant at 2000 rpm. It was evident from the outcomes that the least DBODec45 resulted in minimum carbon monoxide (CO) and un-burnt hydrocarbon (UHC) emissions, which were obtained to be 83.33% and 54.5% less than diesel at 500 bar and at a load of 10 Nm and 20 Nm, respectively. Moreover, the blend containing 45% of decanol led to the lowest NOx and smoke concentrations. The lowest brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) was achieved at 500 bar and 20 Nm for the same blend and was found to be 3.22% higher than diesel. Moreover, at the same IP and load, DBODec45 led to highest BTE, which was 3.26% lower than pure diesel.

Experimental investigation of quaternary blended sustainable concrete along with mix design optimization

The application of pozzolanic materials used either singly or in conjunction with other materials in concrete not only improves the mechanical and durability properties but can provide eco-environmental benefits, as well. This study is an effort to make concrete more sustainable by partially substituting cement with industrial and agricultural waste materials such as fly ash (FA), pumice (Pu) and rice husk ash (RHA) to understand their combined effects on fresh properties, mechanical properties, and sorption of quaternary blended concrete samplings. For this resolve, fifteen different mix proportions of quaternary blends were prepared for evaluating the above-mentioned properties. The maximum values of standard consistency, initial setting time and final setting time were observed to be 38.5%, 162 min and 261 min for C50-F10-R15-P25, C70-F15-R5-P10 and C50-F10-R15-P25, respectively. The compressive and flexural strength of all specimens improved with time. Some specimens showed significant compressive strength and flexural strength gain (about 43% and 57% more than the 28 days values at 120 days, respectively). Similarly, the quaternary blended specimens demonstrated excellent durability, as evident from the lower water intrusion values of the sorption test. The optimized values of mix design constituents as obtained from the response surface methodology approach revealed that a maximum compressive strength of about 44.44 MPa can be obtained if the sand-to-cement ratio (s/c), water-to-cement ratio (w/c) and curing age are 2.5, 0.5 and 90 days, respectively and keeping the amount of FA, RHA and Pu as 50 kg/m3, each.