Effect of Nano-Si3N4 on the Mechanical Properties of Cement-Based Materials

In this paper, in order to improve the wear resistance of road cement, nano-Si3N4 (NSN) was incorporated into cement, and the effect of NSN on compressive strength and wear resistance of road cement was investigated. The main variable of the experimental investigation was the dosage of NSN. The experimental results showed that the addition of NSN could significantly improve the compressive strength and wear resistance of cement paste. Compared with the reference group, the wear resistance can be improved by 46.5% and the compressive strength of cement paste can be improved by 12.3% when the addition of NSN is 0.16% by weight. In addition, the improvement mechanisms of NSN on cement paste were revealed by hydration heat, XRD, DTA-TG, nanoindentation, nitrogen adsorption, and SEM for microscopic phase tests. Through the microscopic analysis, the addition of NSN can accelerate the hydration reaction and promote the hydration degree, optimize the pore structure, and make the cement paste more compact. Additionally, NSN can improve the performance of the interface transition zone (ITZ) and increase the content of HD C-S-H gel. The action mechanism of NSN is mainly dominated by the surface effect, filling effect, and larger surface energy of NSN thereby improving the mechanical properties of cement-based materials. These research results have guiding significance for the design of the high wear resistance and high compressive strength of cement-based materials.

“LIQUEFACTION” AND “DYNAMIC SEPARATION” DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM

In 2015 the Bulk Jupiter sank during bad weather loaded with bauxite. Nearly automatically everybody considered “liquefaction” to be the prime cause of this accident. Liquefaction is a phenomenon where solid bulk cargo, triggered by the ship movements, starts to behave has a high density viscous liquid in the holds. The stability is negatively influenced by the free surface effect and further research, especially by the Global Bauxite Working Group or GBWG showed that bauxite ore simply will not liquefy even under the worst case shipping conditions. Evidence from real world shipments of bauxites shows that instabilities due to moisture cannot be explained by liquefaction phenomena, but can be under a “dynamic separation” mechanism of instability. Both liquefaction and dynamic separation are caused by an excessive moisture of the bauxite cargo. However, the influence on the stability of the ship is fundamentally different.