Multi-Response Optimization of Ultrafine Cement-Based Slurry Using the Taguchi-Grey Relational Analysis Method

Investigating the synergistic effects of magnesia-coal slag based solid waste cementitious materials and its basic characteristics as a backfill material

Applying solid waste resources as backfill material can reduce both the cost of backfill and the environmental problems caused by solid waste landfills. In this paper, the synergistic reaction effects of solid waste modified magnesia slag (MMS), coal gasification slag (CGS), and desulfurized gypsum (DG) as magnesium-coal slag based cementitious materials (MCC) and their preliminary feasibility as mining cementitious materials in synergy with coal gangue for the preparation of backfill materials are investigated. The results show that the order of the compressive strength of the cementitious systems is ternary system > binary system > monolithic system, which proves the existence of synergistic effect among MMS, CGS, and DG and determines the optimal dosing of each raw material in the ternary system. At early ages, the physical effect of CGS and the chemical effect of DG in the ternary system can promote the hydration reaction of MMS, but the synergistic effect between the three is weak; At later ages, a synergistic effect occurred among silica-aluminate depolymerization in CGS, dissolved sulfate from DG and hydration products from MMS, which promoted the production of more hydration products calcium-silicate(aluminum)-hydrate (C-S(A)-H) and AFt, and improved the compressive strength. In addition, the strength, fluidity and leaching of the backfill material prepared by MCC in collaboration with coal gangue can meet the preliminary feasibility for mine backfill. In the present work, the full solid waste MCC is developed to completely replace cement and use it to prepare backfill materials, which is of great importance to the comprehensive utilization of bulk solid waste, the reduction of backfill costs, and the enhancement of the economic and ecological interests of mines.

Multi-Response Optimization of High-Performance Low-pH Grouting Materials by Using Taguchi-Based Grey Relational Analysis

The most accepted approach to sealing in high-level radioactive waste repositories (HLRWs) is to develop a low-pH grouting material with a pH of the pore solution of less than 11. Currently, the most widely used binary low-pH grouting material is MCSF64, which comprises 60% microfine cement (MC) and 40% silica fume (SF). In this study, a high-performance MCSF64-based grouting material was developed by incorporating naphthalene superplasticizer (NSP), aluminum sulfate (AS), and united expansion agent (UEA) to enhance the slurry's shear strength, compressive strength, and hydration process. Orthogonal experiments were conducted to measure the flow time, yield stress, plastic viscosity, initial setting time, shear strength, and compressive strength of the MCSF64-based slurry, and the optimal mix proportion was determined using the Taguchi-Grey relational analysis method. The pH variation of the pore solution, shrinkage/expansion, and hydration products of the optimal hardened slurry were evaluated using simplified ex-situ leaching (S-ESL), a length comparometer, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The results demonstrate that the Bingham model effectively predicted the rheological properties of the MCSF64-based slurry. The optimum ratio for the MCSF64-based slurry was water/binder (W/B) ratio of 1.4, and the contents of NSP, AS and UEA by mass of binder were 1.9%, 3.6% and 4.8%, respectively. The optimal mix exhibited a pH value below 11 after curing for 120 days. The addition of AS and UEA facilitated hydration, shortened the initial setting time, improved early shear strength, and enhanced the expansion ability of the optimal mix under water curing conditions.

Investigation on the Mechanical Properties and Strengthening Mechanism of Solid-Waste-Sulfur-Based Cementitious Composites

This research used waste ceramic powder (CP) to replace aggregate, fly ash (FA) as filler, and combined them with sulfur to prepare composite cementitious materials. The variations of the mechanical properties with the aggregate proportions (aggregate mass/total mass) of 65%, 70%, and 75%, and the FA contents (FA mass/aggregate and filler mass) of 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% were studied. The correlation evaluation model of sulfur content, CP content, FA content, and mechanical properties was established using the gray correlation theory, and the comprehensive mechanical property evaluation model was established as the foundation of the entropy method. Finally, the optimum proportion of the solid-waste-sulfur-based cementitious composites was determined. Results showed that, without FA, the CP increased from 65% to 75% and the comprehensive mechanical properties of the specimen increased by 60.53%. After FA was added, the peak point of the comprehensive mechanical properties appeared in group S75F10, which was 0.9210. During the hardening of the cementitious material, sulfur was mainly used as a binder, CP played the role of skeleton and part of the filler, whereas, as a crystal nucleus, the FA promoted the transformation of the sulfur crystals. Both the CP and FA can reduce the porosity of the specimen to a certain extent and have potential defect repair ability, thus densifying the matrix and improving the strength. When the proportion of sulfur: CP: FA is 1:2.7:0.3, the flexural (FS), compressive (CS), and splitting tensile (STS) strengths of the specimen are 14.8, 86.2, and 6.8 MPa, respectively. The flexural (FCR) and tensile (TCR) compression ratios are 0.172 and 0.079, respectively.

Mechanical Property Evaluation and Prediction of Cementing Composites Blended with MK and UFA under High-Temperature Steam Curing

In this paper, the influence of the substitution rate of metakaolin (MK) and ultrafine fly ash (UFA) on the hydration degree, the micromechanical properties, the pore size distribution, and the corresponding fractal dimension of composite cement-based material was investigated under high-temperature steam curing. Furthermore, Thermogravimetric, Nanoindentation, and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance tests were used to explore the influencing factors of pore size distribution and its corresponding multi-fractal dimension. Finally, the correlations among the pore size distribution, related fractal dimensions, and compression strength were analyzed. Results indicate that the MK-UFA cement ternary cementation system (TCS) can improve the compressive strength and fluidity of samples and enhance the hydration degree and micromechanical properties of the cementitious system. TCS effectively refines the pore size and increases microporosity. In addition, micropore and its fractal dimension have a stronger correlation with the compressive strength of composite cement-based materials. Furthermore, the micro-fractal dimensions can better reflect the essential characteristics of the composite cementitious system. The higher the degree of hydration of the cementitious system and the nanomechanical properties of the C-(A)-S-H gel, the lower the micro-fractal dimension. Finally, the GM (1,3) prediction model of compressive strength, micro-fractal dimension, and microporosity are established based on the grey relational theory.