Assessment of the Durability Dynamics of High-Performance Concrete Blended with a Fibrous Rice Husk Ash

The present study examines the durability properties of Class 1 (50–75 MPa) high-performance concrete (HPC) blended with rice husk ash (RHA) as a partial replacement of CEM II B-L, 42.5 N. Six HPC mixes were prepared with RHA and used as 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% of CEM II alone and properties are compared with control mix having only CEM II. The binders (CEM II and RHA) were investigated for particle size distribution (PSD), specific surface area (SSA), oxide compositions, mineralogical phases, morphology, and functional groups using advanced techniques of laser PSD, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared/attenuated total reflection (FTIR/ATR), respectively, to understand their import on HPC. Durability properties, including water absorption, sorptivity, and chemical attack of the HPC samples, were investigated to realise the effect of RHA on the HPC matrix. The findings revealed that the durability properties of RHA-based HPCs exhibited an acceptable range of values consistent with relevant standards. The findings established that self-produced RHA would be beneficial as a cement replacement in HPC. As the RHA is a cost-effective agro-waste, a scalable product of RHA would be a resource for sustainable technology.

Corrosion Detection of Structural Reinforcement Based on Artificial Intelligence Technology

Due to the environmental degradation caused by soil erosion, it is of great significance to establish the relationship model between geological environmental factors and piping erosion. The method to determine the prone area of pipeline corrosion is limited. This paper introduces the mechanism of reinforcement corrosion, points out the non-destructive detection methods of common steel corrosion, and puts forward the measures to prevent and maintain the corrosion of reinforcement from the aspects of design, construction and material selection, so as to prolong the service life of concrete structure. Abrasion, capitation and chemical attack in concrete hydraulic structures can lead to deterioration of spillways, stilling basins, chutes, slabs and transverse joints, concrete blocks under sluices and any irregular surfaces affected by high flow rates. There are numerous coatings on the market that can be used to repair damaged surfaces. However, the basic data provided by the manufacturer is very limited, and if so, it is usually limited to room temperature values. The results show that the data of concrete, corrosion solution and chloride ion are 0.534, 0.673 and 0.384 respectively.

A naturally DNase-free CRISPR-Cas12c enzyme silences gene expression

SUMMARYUsed widely for genome editing in human cells, plants and animals, CRISPR-Cas enzymes including Cas9 and Cas12 provide RNA-guided immunity to microbes by targeting foreign DNA sequences for cleavage. We show here that the native activity of CRISPR-Cas12c protects bacteria from phage infection by binding to DNA targets without cleaving them, revealing that antiviral interference can be accomplished without chemical attack on the invader or general metabolic disruption in the host. Biochemical experiments demonstrate that Cas12c is a site-specific ribonuclease capable of generating mature CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) from precursor transcripts. Furthermore, we find that crRNA maturation is essential for Cas12c-mediated DNA targeting. Surprisingly, however, these crRNAs direct double-stranded DNA binding by Cas12c using a mechanism that precludes DNA cutting. Cas12c’s RNA-guided DNA binding activity enables robust transcriptional repression of fluorescent reporter proteins in cells. Furthermore, this naturally DNase-free Cas12c enzyme can protect bacteria from lytic bacteriophage infection when targeting an essential phage gene. Together these results show that Cas12c employs targeted DNA binding to provide anti-viral immunity in bacteria, providing a native DNase-free pathway for transient antiviral immunity.

Study of an Ecological Cement-Based Composite with a Sustainable Raw Material, Sunflower Stalk Ash

The use of plant ash as a sustainable cementitious material in concrete composition is a widely researched subject in the construction domain. A plant studied so far more for its thermal insulation properties, sunflower, was analyzed in this study with regard to its ash effects on the concrete composition. The present research aimed to analyze the effects of a 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, or 30% volume replacement of cement by sunflower stalk ash (SA), a sustainable cementitious material, on the concrete compressive strength at 28 days and three months, the flexural and splitting tensile strengths, the resistance to repeated freeze–thaw cycles, and the resistance to chemical attack of hydrochloric acid. The elementary chemical composition of the SA and the composites was included also. According to the experimental results, SA decreased the values of the compressive and tensile strength of the concrete, but it improved the concrete behavior under repeated freeze–thaw cycles and under the action of hydrochloric acid. A percent of 10% of SA led to a much more pronounced development of compressive strength over time than conventional concrete (26.6% versus 12%).

Feasibility study of concrete by using polyethylene terephthalate fiber in enhancing the mechanical properties of concrete

In these project Polyethylene terephthalate fiber (PET) fibers are use to improve the mechanical property of concrete and minimize the environmental pollution of earth. PET is use to prepare container for water, cold drinks, food etc. which is single used and it thrown in to the sea, dump on free land and burning. It cause many serious effect on animals, sea animals, destroy land fertility and other health related issues. The PET material are used to improve mechanical property of concrete like compressive strength, dry and wet density and static and dynamic elastic modulus. Thus fibers are available in natural and artificial material. Now a days, artificial fibers are widely used in India. The types of fibers are plastic fibers, glass fibers, steel fibers etc. In India according to solid waste management data is 15,350 tons daily and 1,84,120 tons annually generate, but only 9,350 tons daily and 1,12,120 tons annually collected. So the uncollected data is that about 6000 tons daily and 72,000 tons annually uncollected, in such a way that it causes many problems to the atmosphere so that it becomes environmentally harmful. For developing country concrete is most important material. It is extensively used in construction industry. Concrete have many advantages like long service life, durability, chemical attack resistance etc. Thus concrete has some many disadvantage like low tensile strength, flexural strength and cracks. To overcome these disadvantage add some supplements in concrete to improve its strength. The fiber are one of them. It reduces environmental problem it becomes eco-friendly. In case of compressive strength test, wet density test and direct method of UPV result are obtain as concrete carry higher applied load also it give high compressive strength, high wet and dry density of concrete and quality of concrete is good when adding 0.4% of shape - 01 PET fiber in concrete.

Swelling Elastomer Applications in Petroleum Drilling and Development

Oil and gas drilling and development is witnessing new and inventive techniques targeted at increased production from difficult and aging wells. As depth of an oil or gas well increases, higher temperatures and harsher environments are encountered. Suitable elastomers can provide good sealing as they possess good resistance to heat and chemical attack, and as they are widely availability at low cost. In comparison with metals, elastomers are lighter in weight and lesser in stiffness and hardness, swell more with increasing temperature, and are usually better in corrosion resistance. Other reasons for their preference include excellent damping and energy absorption, more flexibility and longer life; good sealing even with moisture, heat, and pressure; negligible toxicity; good moldability; and flexible stiffness. As mentioned in chapter-1, swelling elastomers or gels have found extensive use in different applications including drug delivery, microfluidics, biomedical devices, scaffolds for tissue engineering, biosensors, etc. As the main focus of this book is the oil and gas industry, implementation of swelling elastomer technology and deployment in different petroleum applications are discussed below.

Durability Properties of Ultra-High Performance Lightweight Concrete (UHPLC) with Expanded Glass

It is important to ensure the durability and safety of structures. In the case of newly developed materials that are outside the current rules, it is important to investigate all aspects of structural safety. The material studied in the following is a structural lightweight concrete with an ultra-high-performance matrix and expanded glass as a lightweight aggregate. The material, with a compressive strength of 60–100 MPa and a bulk density of 1.5–1.9 kg/dm3, showed high capillary porosities of 12 vol% (ultra-high-performance concretes (UHPC) < 5 vol%). Since the capillary porosity basically enables transport processes into the concrete, the material had to be examined more closely from the aspect of durability. Freeze-thaw resistance (68 g/m2) and chemical attack with sulfate at pH 3.5 for 12 weeks (16 g/m2) showed no increase in concrete corrosion. Targeted carbonation (0.53 mm/year0.5) and chloride penetration resistance (6.0 × 10−13 to 12.6 × 10−13 m2/s) also showed good results against reinforcement corrosion. The results show that most of the measured capillary pores resulted from the lightweight aggregate and were not all present as a pore system. Thus, the durability was only slightly affected and the concrete can be compared to an UHPC. Only the abrasion resistance showed an increased value (22,000 mm3/5000 mm2), which, however, only matters if the material is used as a screed.

Conceptualization and Design of a Small Pyrolysis Plant for the Sustainable Production of Flexible Bricks and Bituminous Concrete from Polyethylene Terephthalate Waste

Polyethylene terephthalate is majorly used for packaging of various products because of its resistance to chemical attack and environmental degradation, but the proper disposal of this non-biodegradable material has been a major challenge. Pyrolysis is the melting of plastic in the absence of oxygen. Currently pyrolysis of polyethylene terephthalate is considered as a viable recycling method since it only requires 5% of the calorific value of polyethylene terephthalate. This research was aimed at designing a pyrolysis plant for the production of construction materials with acceptable mechanical properties such as compressive strength and water absorption. Sustainable, eco-friendly road construction from bituminous concrete with waste polyethylene terephthalate has the capability of reducing carbon emissions. The polyethylene terephthalate bituminous composite has the flexibility of plastic but strength of concrete. The bricks have a maximum compressive strength of 10 N/mm2 which is within the standard range and have less water absorbing tendencies hence have a longer lifespan. Value addition is equally important in the pyrolysis plant so as to contribute to sustainable development. This book chapter reviews the different products such as polyethylene terephthalate composite bricks and flexible pavements which can effectively use polyethylene terephthalate waste as a raw material.

Evaluation of the Durability of Slippery, Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces in Different Aggressive Environments: Influence of the Chemical-Physical Properties of Lubricants

Liquid-repellent surfaces have been extensively investigated due to their potential application in several fields. Superhydrophobic surfaces achieve outstanding water repellence, however their limited durability in severe operational conditions hinders their large-scale application. The Slippery, Liquid-Infused Porous Surface (SLIPS) approach solves many of the durability problems shown by superhydrophobic surfaces due to the presence of an infused liquid layer. Moreover, SLIPS show enhanced repellence towards low surface tension liquids that superhydrophobic surfaces cannot repel. In this perspective, SLIPS assume significant potential for application in harsh environments; however, a systematic evaluation of their durability in different conditions is still lacking in the literature. In this work, we report the fabrication of SLIPS based on a ceramic porous layer infused with different lubricants, namely perfluoropolyethers with variable viscosity and n-hexadecane; we investigate the durability of these surfaces by monitoring the evolution of their wetting behavior after exposure to severe environmental conditions like UV irradiation, chemically aggressive solutions (acidic, alkaline, and saline), and abrasion. Chemical composition and viscosity of the infused liquids prove decisive in determining SLIPS durability; especially highly viscous infused liquids deliver enhanced resistance to abrasion stress and chemical attack, making them candidates for applicable, long-lasting liquid-repellent surfaces.