Binder Ratio Research Articles

Thermal and acoustic properties of lime‐based sustainable insulation materials produced from hemp fibers modified with boron

AbstractThe importance of using natural materials in the construction field within the framework of sustainable and environmentally friendly approaches is increasing day by day. In this context, this study was aimed to develop a hemp fiber‐based insulating building material. The boron doped fibers were characterized by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (DTA/TGA) and field emission environmental scanning electron microscopy (FE‐ESEM). The materials were produced by mixing undoped, 10% and 15% boric acid doped hemp fibers separately with lime. The fiber:binder ratio was determined as 1:4 by weight in all samples. To determine the thermal and acoustic properties of the produced samples; thermal conductivity test with heat flow plate method, sound absorption and sound transmission loss tests with impedance tube method were carried out. In order to determine the mechanical strength of the materials, a three‐point bending tests were performed. As a result of the analyses, the thermal conductivity coefficients of the samples produced using hemp fibers, which are undoped, doped with 10% and 15% boric acid solution, were determined as 0.0935, 0.1926, and 0.1863 W/mK, respectively; noise reduction coefficients (NRCs) were measured as 0.425, 0.443, and 0.385, respectively; the highest sound transmission loss values were recorded as 27.17, 33.50, and 46.92 dB, respectively; and the flexural strength (σf) values were determined as 1.922, 1.992, and 2.578 MPa, respectively.

A Study on the Relationship Between the Pore Characteristics of High-Performance Self-Compacting Concrete (HPSCC) Based on Fractal Theory and the Function of the Water–Binder Ratio (W/C)

The mechanical properties of High-Performance Self-Compacting Concrete (HPSCC) are strongly influenced by its pore structure, but the impact of varying water–binder ratios (W/C) on this relationship remains unclear. To address this, the present study investigates HPSCC with W/C ratios ranging from 0.19 to 0.23, aiming to elucidate the connection between pore structure, fractal characteristics, and mechanical performance. Through a combination of compressive strength testing, low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) observations, this study reveals key insights. First, compressive strength initially increases with a decreasing W/C ratio but plateaus beyond W/C = 0.21, identifying an optimal range for balancing strength and workability. Second, the pore structure of HPSCC is characterized by cylindrical, ink-bottle, and planar interstitial pores, with significant fractal characteristics. Notably, the fractal dimension decreases as the W/C ratio increases, indicating reduced pore complexity and improved homogeneity. Finally, a strong linear correlation (R2 > 0.9) between the W/C ratio, fractal dimension, and compressive strength provides a predictive tool for assessing HPSCC performance. This study concludes that the internal pore structure is a critical determinant of HPSCC strength, and the identified optimal W/C ratio range offers guidance for mixture designs. Additionally, fractal dimension analysis emerges as a novel method to evaluate HPSCC’s microstructural quality, enabling predictions of long-term performance and durability. These findings contribute to the scientific basis for designing high-performance concrete materials with improved mechanical properties and durability.

Mechanical Properties, Corrosion Damage Evolution Laws, and Durability Deterioration Indicators of High-Performance Concrete Exposed to Saline Soil Environment for 8 Years

Most of the current studies rely on simulated brine corrosion environments and lack long-term investigations into concrete corrosion damage evolution under actual corrosive conditions. In this paper, high-performance concrete (HPC) with various mix ratios is designed in the context of the Qinghai Salt Lake region in China, and the evolution of corrosion damage of HPC with different water–binder ratios (W/B) and different fly ash (FA) admixtures under long-term field exposure conditions is obtained by testing the ultrasonic velocity and strengths of the HPC in the field exposure of the HPC in the Qinghai Salt Lake region. The results show that the corrosion resistance of HPC is related to its water–binder ratio and mineral admixture type and dosage under the exposure of 8 years in Qinghai Salt Lake area. HPC with a fly ash dosage of 15–35% and silica fume dosage of 10% exhibits better corrosion resistance when the water–binder ratio (W/B) is between 0.24 and 0.38. The dependence relationship between the corrosion resistance coefficient of HPC and the relative dynamic elastic modulus (Erd) and 28 d standard maintenance strength was also established. The Erd of HPC with a corrosion resistance coefficient of 0.80 or above was 0.73–0.93, not 0.60, which provides an important experimental basis for determining the corrosion damage index of HPC in the high-saline brine environment of the salt lake.

Comparative Analysis of Carbonized Hybrid Briquettes Produced from Cassava Peel and Sawdust for Cooking Application

The increasing use of biomass residues in briquette forms is not just for disposal problems but provides alternatives to fossil fuel and fuelwood. This research concentrated on assessing the effectiveness of the briquettes when used for cooking. The briquettes were prepared from carbonized materials: 100% Cassava peels (CP), 100% Sawdust (SD) of Gmelina arborea and their hybrid (MIX1 -75:25, MIX2 -50:50, and MIX3 -25:75) with starch binder in percentage (5% and 10%) by weight at varying resident time of 10, 20, and 30 minutes. ANOVA was utilized to evaluate the significance at p<0.05. The produced briquettes were oven-dried and subjected to mechanical, boiling test, and fuel performance tests to evaluate their suitability as domestic fuel. The result shows that shatter index ranged between 46.81%–95.54%, compressive strength ranged from 0.12–0.26 N/mm2. Briquette’s thermal efficiency with good flame was within the range of 24.27%–55.55%. However, the average burning rate of all the briquette types was between 0.39 to 0.85 kg/hr, while the average specific fuel consumption ranged from 0.08 to 0.14 kg/l. The briquette took 15 minutes to boil water from 96.9°C to 97. 9°C.The comprehensive briquette test reveals that cassava peel exhibits the highest capacity for handling, while hybrid briquettes MIX1 and MIX3 demonstrate commendable fuel performance. It was noted that the binder ratio, type of biomass material, and residence time significantly impact the properties of the briquettes.

Research on the Effects of the Water–Binder Ratio and Fiber Content on the Tensile and Bending Mechanical Properties of ECCs

Research on the Effects of the Water–Binder Ratio and Fiber Content on the Tensile and Bending Mechanical Properties of ECCs

Pair approximating the action for molecular rotations in path integral Monte Carlo.

Typical path integral Monte Carlo approaches use the primitive approximation to compute the probability density for a given path. In this work, we develop the pair discrete variable representation (pair-DVR) approach to study molecular rotations. The pair propagator, which was initially introduced to study superfluidity in condensed helium, is naturally well-suited for systems interacting with a pairwise potential. Consequently, paths sampled using the pair action tend to be closer to the exact paths (compared to primitive Trotter paths) for such systems leading to convergence with less imaginary time steps. Our approach relies on using the pair factorization approach in conjunction with a discretized path integral ground state paradigm to study a chain of planar rotors interacting with a pairwise dipole interaction. We first use the Wigner-Kirkwood density expansion to analyze the asymptotics of the pair propagator in imaginary time. Then, we exhibit the utility of the pair factorization scheme via convergence studies comparing the pair and primitive propagators. Finally, we compute energetic and structural properties of this system including the correlation function and Binder ratio as functions of the coupling strength to examine the behavior of the pair-DVR method near criticality. The density matrix renormalization group results are used for benchmarking throughout.

Performance of Gadolinium-Neutron Shielding Layer Formed by Plasma Thermal Spray Method

Plasma thermal spray coating method was applied to prepare a high performance neutron shielding layer for various applications such as nuclear spent fuel transportation and storage containers and experimental research reactors. In this study, layers with various compositions of a gadolinium oxide neutron absorber and a nickel alloy binder on a 304 stainless steels substrate were deposited by the plasma thermal spraying method, and their performance including the neutron shielding ability and the corrosion behavior was evaluated to develop a high performance thermal neutron shield coating layer. In the neutron shielding test results, layers with more than a 450 m thick coating with a 1:3 ratio of gadolinium oxide and nickel alloy binder provided 100% thermal neutron shielding against a neutron beam with energy of 48.4 meV and a wavelength of 0.13 nm. Electrochemical corrosion tests showed that the corrosion potential and corrosion rate of the thermal spray coated layers in the artificial sea water were lower than -0.833 VSHE and slower than 7.12×10-5A/cm2, respectively. Both the neutron shielding and the corrosion resistance tests results suggest that neutron shielding layers with thickness exceeding 450 m formed by the plasma thermal spraying method can be effectively applied as a thermal neutron shielding material for spent fuel transportation and storage containers and experimental nuclear reactors.

An Experimental Study on High Strength Geo Polymer Concrete

Abstract: Geopolymer concrete (GPC), rich in aluminosilicates and activated by alkaline solutions, offers superior durability, thermomechanical properties, and reduced environmental impact compared to conventional concrete. This eco-friendly material uses fly ash, GGBS, and silica fume, with optimized binder ratios like 35:50:15. Ambient curing enhances sustainability by eliminating the need for heat curing. Experimental studies reveal the benefits of incorporating brass-coated steel fibers, with 2.0% achieving optimal mechanical strength. AURAMIX 300 superplasticizer improves workability, while slag content enhances strength and bonding. Though costlier, HS-GPC's lower carbon footprint and high performance make it a sustainable alternative to traditional concrete.

A Sustainable Approach for the Development of Cellulose-Based Food Container from Coconut Coir.

The increasing demand for sustainable resources has revived the research on cellulose over the last decades. Therefore, the current research focused on the synthesis of biopolymers for the development of viable tableware utensils from cellulose of coconut coir. The synthesized biopolymer was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), tensile strength, and contact angle. The synthesized biopolymer was converted to workable conditions through incorporation of starch, as a binder, at various ratios with cellulose, ranging from 1:9 to 10:0. Moreover, the most prominent features of the synthesized biopolymer were obtained by the addition of glycerin as a plasticizer and citric acid as a cross-linker. At 6:4 ratio of cellulose and binder showed excellent mechanical properties, and with the incorporation of cross-linker, the biopolymer possessed high tensile strength (18.6 MPa) and elongation (3.5%) in comparison to commercially available polystyrene polymer (1.5 MPa) and (2.6%), respectively. Furthermore, the cross-linker citric acid bestows with network structure that was confirmed with the change of contact angle (81°), FT-IR spectra, surface morphology, crystallinity index, and water vapor transmission rate (573 g/m2/d). TGA data revealed the improved thermal properties of the biopolymer, and the decomposed temperature was elevated from >223 to 238 °C in the presence of network structure proved by cross-linker. The degree of deterioration was assessed by soil burial test, highlighting the environmental compatibility of the tableware. The purpose of the study was to synthesize sustainable tableware from waste source coir fiber for the reduction of harmful effects of synthetic counterpart.

Going from Pt to PGM-free Catalysts: Effects of Ink Compositions on PEM Water Electrolysis.

The commercialisation of PEM water electrolysis is still hindered by the necessity of using noble metals that are rare, expensive and therefore unsustainable. To replace the benchmark HER catalyst Pt with more abundant materials, promising non-noble catalysts need to be identified and optimal electrode preparation and electrolysis conditions need to be transferred between catalyst materials to reveal their full potential under industrially relevant conditions. This study investigates the optimal ink composition for spray-coating the cathode regarding the effects on electrode structure, performance and catalyst layer composition. The ratio of catalyst to binder and carbon support was varied as well as the specific carbon material and the resulting electrodes were analysed via polarisation curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy for three different catalysts. These results show that ink compositions with a catalyst : carbon : binder ratio of 3:1:1 using Carbon Vulcan give the highest performance. Interestingly, resulting trends concerning electrochemical behaviour and electrode structure observed with different characterisation techniques can be transferred between Pt catalysts and non-noble transition metal chalcogenide materials. Boosting the performance via ink optimisation is much more pronounced for the non-noble catalysts, narrowing the gap to competing with noble standard Pt materials.

Preparation and Physicochemical Properties of Inorganic Solidified Foam for Forest Fire

ABSTRACTTo optimize the performance of inorganic solidified foam and apply it effectively in forest fire fighting, three different ionic surfactants were combined with four viscosity‐increasing foam stabilizers. Then, the ratio of inorganic solidified foam was changed to investigate the effects of four factors, namely, water–binder ratio, quick‐setting agent dosing, fly ash dosing, and foam dosing, on the foaming multiple and stability of the inorganic solidified foam. Finally, the fluidity and adhesion ability of the inorganic solidified foam were tested with different quick‐setting agent dosages and foam dosages, and the optimal working condition range of the inorganic solidified foam was determined based on the test results. The results showed that when SDS:APG = 7:1, the foaming multiples of the foam were higher and it could reach 52.5 times when the surfactant content in the solution was 1.2 wt%; among the four viscosity‐increasing stabilizers, the stabilizing effect of xanthan gum was the best. The inorganic solidified foam exhibits an extended foaming time when utilizing a water–binder ratio of 0.45 and a fly ash dosage of 0.5. To ensure optimal mobility and a specific adhesion thickness, it is recommended to maintain a foam dosage of 6 V or higher, with mobility falling within the 11–13 range. The preferred ratio for creating inorganic solidified foam involves a water–binder ratio of 0.45, a 0.6 wt% dosage of accelerating agent, a 0.5 fly ash content, and a foam mixing of 7 V.

Influence of Alkaline Binders on the Workability and Strength of Self Compacting Geopolymer Concrete

Self-compacting geopolymer concrete (SCGC) has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional concrete due to its environmental benefits. In SCGC, alkaline binders, such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate (Na₂SiO₃), play a crucial role in influencing both workability and strength. Notably, the ratio of alkaline binders significantly impacts the overall performance of SCGC. This study investigated five SCGC mixes with varying alkaline binder (A/B) ratios ranging from 0.40 to 0.60, incorporating 50% fly ash (FA) and 50% ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS). The mixes included 14 M NaOH, a superplasticizer (9 kg/m³), and extra water (54 kg/m³) to evaluate the effect of the A/B ratio on workability and mechanical strength properties. The results revealed that the fresh properties of SCGC with A/B ratios of 0.4, 0.45, and 0.5 complied with EFNARC guidelines, as assessed by the slump flow test, with the lowest T50cm slump flow recorded at 696 mm. The mix with an A/B ratio of 0.5 exhibited the best mechanical performance, achieving a compressive strength (CS) of 38.3 MPa, a splitting tensile strength (STS) of 4.63 MPa, and a flexural strength (FS) of 5.85 MPa. These findings suggest that an SCGC mix with a 0.5 A/B ratio optimizes rheological and mechanical properties at a 14 M NaOH concentration.

Artificial intelligence-based modeling of compressive strength of slurry infiltrated fiber concrete

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a reliable model that would predict the compressive strength of slurry infiltrated fiber concrete (SIFCON) modified with various supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) using artificial intelligence approach. Design/methodology/approach This study engaged the artificial intelligence to predict the compressive strength of SIFCON through deep neural networks (DNN), artificial neural networks, linear regression, regression trees, support vector machine, ensemble trees, Gaussian process regression and neural networks (NN). A thorough data set of 387 samples was gathered from relevant studies. Eleven variables (cement, silica fume, fly ash, metakaolin, steel slag, fine aggregates, steel fiber fraction, steel fiber aspect ratio, superplasticizer, water to binder ratio and curing ages) were taken as input to predict the output (compressive strength). The accuracy and reliability of the developed models were assessed using a variety of performance metrics. Findings The results showed that the DNN (11-20-20-20-1) predicted the compressive strength of SIFCON better than the other algorithms with R2 and mean square error yielding 95.89% and 8.07. The sensitivity analysis revealed that steel fiber, cement, silica fume, steel fiber aspect ratio and superplasticizer are the most vital variables in estimating the compressive strength of SIFCON. Steel fiber contributed the highest value to the SIFCON’s compressive strength with 16.90% impact. Originality/value This is a novel technique in predicting the compressive strength of SIFCON optimized with different SCMs using supervised learning algorithms, improving its quality and performance.

Properties of alkali activated cellular lightweight binder blocks with industrial and agro waste

The construction industry is continuously seeking sustainable alternatives to conventional building materials. Alkali-Activated Cellular Lightweight Binder Blocks (AACLBs) present a promising solution by utilizing alkali activation technology to augment the properties of lightweight concrete. This research focuses on optimizing the composition of AACLBs by replacing conventional binders with alkali-activated materials derived from industrial by-products and agro waste with the help of a protein based foaming agent (FA). The industrial waste materials investigated include Fly Ash (F) and Blast Furnace Slag (BFS) while agro waste such as Rice Husk Ash (RHA) are considered as sustainable alternatives. With Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) and Sodium Silicate (Na2SiO3) as activators, 8 different combinations are adopted in this study. Properties such as density and compressive strength (CS) are analyzed to assess the structural capabilities of the AACLBs and are compared with that of cement-based blends. The alkaline solution to binder ratio is kept constant as 2.5 for two dilution ratios (1:30 & 1:60) and ambient curing is adopted. The target densities for conventional cement-based mixes are set as 1200–1600 kg/m3 and 1500–1800 kg/m3 for alkali-based mixes. The findings show that, the highest CS of 42.76 MPa and a density of 1870 kg/m3 is observed for FB1 combination at a dilution ratio of 1:30. Conversely, the FBR2 combination at a dilution ratio of 1:60 yielded a CS of 21.23 MPa, accompanied by a minimum density of 988 kg/m3.

Binder‐Mediated Supramolecular Polymerization with Controllable Gel‐to‐Crystal Transformation in Metal‐Organic Polyhedra

AbstractControlling supramolecular polymerization across various length scales through metal‐organic polyhedra in aqueous media enables functional nanomaterial fabrication beyond traditional π‐chromophoric systems. Herein, we present a straightforward strategy to tune the nano‐ and microscopic structural evolution of a co‐assembled system. Ga‐MOC ([Ga8(ImDC)12]12−, ImDC = imidazoledicarboxylate) is introduced as a discrete unit, while the Ni‐ethylenediamine complex [Ni(en)3]2+ (Ni‐en), served as the binder towards supramolecular polymerization. Comprehensive investigations revealed that adjusting the binder ratio in the bicomponent (Ga‐MOC and Ni‐en) co‐assembly process allows precise control over nanostructure length and evolution by influencing both the kinetics and thermodynamics of the assembly. At higher concentrations, this assembly forms a hydrogel above a critical binder ratio. Furthermore, the binder′s ratio significantly influences the viscoelastic strength of the hydrogels by modulating the connectivity between the MOCs through hydrogen (H)‐bonding. Intriguingly, the hydrogels gradually transformed into crystals without any external stimuli, with different timescales regulated by the binder ratio. Single crystal structure determination reveals a 3D structure composed of Ga‐MOC and Ni‐en, extended through charge‐assisted H‐bonding (CAHB) interactions, resulting through the transformation from a kinetically controlled gel state to a thermodynamically stable crystal product. This study provides an understanding of binder‐mediated control over nanostructural evolution in co‐assembled MOCs.

The Effect of Nanosilica on the Fresh Properties of Sustainable Self-Compacting Concrete

The purpose of the current investigation was to lower the CO2 footprint of an industrial self-compacting concrete mix, which currently consists of CEMI 42.5R solely, without any natural pozzolanas or supplementary cementitious materials. The target compressive strength of the industrial mix needed to exceed 55 MPa at 28 days of curing. In the present study we attempted a 20% reduction of CEMI 42.5R (by total mass of solids) by adding 20% of limestone filler and subsequently added 1% of colloidal nanosilica, aiming (i) at leveraging strength loss due to the reduction of Portland cement, (ii) at providing early strength and (iii) at enhancing the microstructure. A water to binder ratio of 0.42 was selected and superplasticizers were added. Fresh properties were studied in terms of slump-flow test, density and 1-day strength. In addition, the 28 day compressive strength was also tested, meeting the mix design strength requirement. Interestingly, the slump flow was improved, indicating better packing effect, however the compressive strength of the control formulations was higher than that of the nanoenhanced formulation. Further insights are also provided.

Study on the activity, phase, thermal decomposition characteristics, microstructure, and chemical element of hardened cement powder under heating temperature of 100°C~1200°C

AbstractThe properties of thermoactivated hardened cement powder (HCP) are of great significance for the recycling and utilization of concrete waste. This paper focuses on heating activation of HCP under the temperature between 100 and 1200°C. The activity, phase changes and microstructure of thermoactivated HCP were analyzed. The results showed that HCP with heating temperature between 1000 and 1200°C showed high activity. Under the conditions of heating activation at 1200°C, water–binder ratio of 0.38 and curing time of 30 days, the compressive strength of the specimen made of HCP reached 17.56 MPa. When the heating temperature is between 700 and 1200°C, CSH gel is gradually decomposed into C2S and C3S. The chemical reaction products of cement and thermoactivated HCP are similar, both containing CaCO3, Ca(OH)2, AFt, Hydrotalcite, etc. Compared to the diffraction peaks of hydrated cement, the diffraction peaks of thermoactivated HCP are broadened and dispersed. The high Ca/Si and Al/Si ratios in the chemical reaction products of thermoactivated HCP are important reasons for the decrease in its mechanical properties.

A new strategy using intelligent hybrid learning for prediction of water binder ratio of concrete with rice husk ash as a supplementary cementitious material

A new strategy using intelligent hybrid learning for prediction of water binder ratio of concrete with rice husk ash as a supplementary cementitious material

Binder-Mediated Supramolecular Polymerization with Controllable Gel-to-Crystal Transformation in Metal-Organic Polyhedra.

Controlling supramolecular polymerization across various length scales through metal-organic polyhedra in aqueous media enables functional nanomaterial fabrication beyond traditional π-chromophoric systems. Herein, we present a straightforward strategy to tune the nano- and microscopic structural evolution of a co-assembled system. Ga-MOC ([Ga8(ImDC)12]12-, ImDC = imidazoledicarboxylate) is introduced as a discrete unit, while the Ni-ethylenediamine complex [Ni(en)3]2+ (Ni-en), served as the binder towards supramolecular polymerization. Comprehensive investigations revealed that adjusting the binder ratio in the bicomponent (Ga-MOC and Ni-en) co-assembly process allows precise control over nanostructure length and evolution by influencing both the kinetics and thermodynamics of the assembly. At higher concentrations, this assembly forms a hydrogel above a critical binder ratio. Furthermore, the binder's ratio significantly influences the viscoelastic strength of the hydrogels by modulating the connectivity between the MOCs through hydrogen (H)-bonding. Intriguingly, the hydrogels gradually transformed into crystals without any external stimuli, with different timescales regulated by the binder ratio. Single crystal structure determination reveals a 3D structure composed of Ga-MOC and Ni-en, extended through charge-assisted H-bonding (CAHB) interactions, resulting through the transformation from a kinetically controlled gel state to a thermodynamically stable crystal product. This study provides an understanding of binder-mediated control over nanostructural evolution in co-assembled MOCs.

Evaluating Flexural Strength of Steel Fiber Reinforced Geopolymer Concrete using the ResNet Approach and Sensitivity Analysis

The present study evaluates the performance of fiber-reinforced geopolymer, especially its flexural strength, using a Deep Learning (DL) approach, Deep Residual Network (ResNet), and the experimental work is presented. A total of 245 mixtures were employed to generate the data for the ResNet training and validating procedures. In the proposed model, the Fly Ash (FA) content, sodium silicate solution/solid binder ratio, curing temperature, curing time, fiber volume fraction, fiber length (l) and diameter (d), as well as fiber tensile strength, were considered as input factors. In contrast, flexural strength was the output parameter. The effectiveness of ResNet was evaluated by three statistical factors, correlation coefficient (R2), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE). ResNet validation revealed the effectiveness of predictive methods with 94.5%, 0.292 MPa, and 4.068% for R2, RMSE, and MAPE, respectively. The suggested models may be used as standard mixtures for geopolymer concrete reinforced with steel fibers.