Drying is the most critical process of first heating cycle monolithic dense refractories, as reduced permeability resulting microstructure may lead to explosive spalling and mechanical damage associated with dewatering. The part this review series pointed out various drying stages, role binder components techniques that can be used follow water release in as-cast refractory materials, when they...

Synopsis: This study presents the experimental results on properties of concrete with replacement of natural aggregate by recycled concrete aggregate (RCA). Experimental data on the creep behavior of concrete mixtures (basic and drying creep) was obtained. The replacement factor of natural aggregate by RCA were 0%, 15%, 30%, 60% and 100%, and the test conditions were 50% RH and 20°C. The result...

The quality traits of a single grain kernel can produce an index of the overall quality of the bulk grain, as individual kernels comprise a grain bulk. Therefore, single–kernel drying behavior is important in understanding the overall quality of grain. A Matlab based software package with C++ compiler was developed in this study for describing single–kernel drying, tempering, and internal stres...

We report a simulation study on competition between cracking and peeling, in a layer of clay on desiccation and how this is affected by the rate of drying, as well as the roughness of the substrate. The system is based on a simple 2-dimensional spring model. A vertical section through the layer with finite thickness is represented by a rectangular array of nodes connected by linear springs on a...

The drying of hydrogel films formed by Poloxamer 407 poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) amphiphilic block copolymer was investigated at various air relative humidity (RH) conditions ranging from 11 to 97%. Initially, the amount of water lost increased linearly with the drying time. After this linear region (stage I), a nonlinear behavior was observed (stage II). The...

To a large extent the performance of biofilters relies on the presence of suitable amounts of water in order to provide conditions needed for microbiological degradation of pollutants to take place. In many cases breakdown of filtration performance occurs due to inappropriate water contents in the filter material. The present study focuses on the drying dynamics within such filters, which are m...

The mechanism responsible for unusual mechanical properties of tension wood gelatinous fiber (Gfiber) was investigated. We discussed origins of high tensile growth stress, high drying shrinkage, and rapid increase of Young’s modulus due to drying, in association with microscopic structure of gelatinous layer (G-layer). Anatomical, crystallographic, and micromechanical approaches were employed. ...

We study the behavior of mortars where 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 50% and 100% of their original natural sand was replaced by ceramic sand in a search of potential new building materials that will help to conserve natural resources and that are environmentally friendly. In this paper, the physical properties of the sands and their derived mortars, including their compressive strength, flexural strength...

Using density functional and Monte Carlo methods, we have studied the properties of Ne adsorbed on a Cs surface, focusing on the region at and near saturated vapor pressure (SVP). In the case of Ne/Rb, the experimental data of Hess, Sabatini, and Chan are consistent with the calculations based on an ab initio fluid-substrate potential, while in the Ne/Cs case there is indication that the potent...

Transplantation brings hope for many patients. A multidisciplinary approach on this field aims at creating biologically functional tissues to be used as implants and prostheses. The freeze-drying process allows the fundamental properties of these materials to be preserved, making future manipulation and storage easier. Optimizing a freeze-drying cycle is of great importance since it aims at red...