Degradation of alkali-activated slag subjected to water immersion

In this study, the impacts of tap water immersion on the pore solution, phase assemblages, gel chemistry and structure, and pore structure of alkali-activated slag (AAS) pastes were studied. AAS degrades under such condition and the potential mechanisms can be concluded as lower reaction rates, gel decomposition and carbonation. The leaching...

Experimental and numerical study on the mitigation of autogenous shrinkage of cementitious material

This study experimentally investigated the effects of surfactants and water-repelling agents on the hydration process, relative humidity, and mechanical properties of Portland cement pastes. Based on the measurement results, the degree of hydration, degree of saturation, capillary tension of autogenous shrinkage, and magnitude of autogenous...

Can superabsorbent polymers be used as rheology modifiers for cementitious materials in the context of 3D concrete printing?

Autogenous shrinkage may be a critical issue concerning the use of limestone-calcined clay-cement (LC3) in high-performance concrete and 3D printable cementitious materials, which have relatively low water to binder (W/B) ratio. Adding an internal curing agent, i.e., superabsorbent polymer (SAP), could be a viable solution in this context....

A Series of Ternary Metal Chloride Superionic Conductors for High-Performance All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries

Understanding the relationship between structure, ionic conductivity, and synthesis is the key to the development of superionic conductors. Here, a series of Li_3-3_xM₁₊_xCl₆ (−0.14 < x ≤ 0.5, M = Tb, Dy, Ho, Y, Er, Tm) solid electrolytes with orthorhombic and trigonal structures are...

Effect of metakaolin on the autogenous shrinkage of alkali-activated slag-fly ash paste

The high autogenous shrinkage of alkali-activated materials made from slag and fly ash is recognised as a major drawback with regard to the use as construction materials. In this study, metakaolin was introduced into the alkali-activated slag-fly ash (AASF) paste to mitigate the autogenous shrinkage. The shrinkage mitigation mechanism of...

Current and future trends in topology optimization for additive manufacturing

Manufacturing-oriented topology optimization has been extensively studied the past two decades, in particular for the conventional manufacturing methods, for example, machining and injection molding or casting. Both design and manufacturing engineers have benefited from these efforts because of the close-to-optimal and friendly-to-manufacture...