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Special Issue "Science and Technology for Silicate-Based Construction and Building Materials"

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 October 2023) | Viewed by 7561

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Milica Vasić

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Guest Editor

Institute for Testing of Materials IMS, Bulevar vojvode Mišića 43, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: traditional ceramics; secondary raw materials; energy saving; geopolymers; mathematical modeling; process optimization

Dr. Anja Terzić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute for Testing of Materials IMS, Bulevar vojvode Mišića 43, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: cement; chemistry of cement; composite materials; mortar; concrete; eco-efficient materials; circular economy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Given the rapidly deteriorating environmental status of the planet and the growing problem of waste and global warming, finding a sustainable solution is an emerging topic. One of the main problems to be actively addressed in the construction industry is the manufacturing processes that lead to multiple negative environmental impacts including CO₂ emissions. Various types of clay and clayey raw materials (e.g., zeolite, bentonite, pyrophyllite, fly ash), as well as secondary raw materials of similar compositions, have been considered as potential replacements in ceramics, cement, mortars, concretes, geopolymers, or as stabilizing agents, etc. The impact of a replacement depends on the dosage of raw material and applied treatment (mechanical, thermal, chemical). The goal of this Special Issue is to highlight and optimize the use of alternative raw materials in the design of construction composites and to show changes introduced (mechanical strength, adhesion, dimensional stability, adsorption, thermal, dielectric and insulation properties, resistance to environmental attack) and performances of final building or construction products. The raw materials can be applied in either natural or altered states (activated, calcined, modified, nano). Special attention should be given to the materials and processes studied in the laboratory, and/or industry. Furthermore, studies aiming to decrease gases released during the production are welcomed.

Dr. Milica Vasić
Dr. Anja Terzić
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

silicate-based construction and building materials
recycling
process and product optimization
laboratory-scale studies
industrial-scale studies
instrumental analyzes
physico-mechanical properties
gas emission during production
circular economy
life-cycle analysis

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 8666 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Passive-Cooling Building Coating with Efficient Cooling Performance and Excellent Superhydrophobicity

and

Materials 2023, 16(15), 5232; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16155232 - 25 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 655

Abstract

Passive-cooling building materials can achieve cooling without external energy consumption, which is an energy-saving and environmentally friendly cooling method. However, the existing passive-cooling building materials have the limitations of high cost, complicated processes, and a toxic organic solvent, which hinders the passive-cooling technology applied in practical building. To overcome these limitations, we developed a facile, high-efficiency, non-toxic, and superhydrophobic passive-cooling building coating (SPCBC) with an efficient cooling capability and excellent durability that was composed of polydimethylsiloxane and SiO₂. The fabricated SPCBC demonstrated a high reflectance and a high emittance, showing a superior cooling capability with a 14 °C temperature drop compared with a bare cement surface on a hot summer day. In addition, the SPCBC could not be wetted or contaminated by muddy water, corrosive aqueous solutions, or dust, which presented an excellent anti-fouling and self-cleaning capability. Moreover, the fabricated SPCBC could work outdoors for 30 days, withstand UV irradiation for 30 days, and resist accelerated aging for 100 h without any significant changes in the superhydrophobicity and the cooling capability, meaning that the SPCBC had an outstanding durability. This work provides a new method to facilitate passive-cooling technology to apply in practical building in hot weather regions of the world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Science and Technology for Silicate-Based Construction and Building Materials)

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Graphical abstract

20 pages, 6377 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Research on Preparation and Performance of Volcanogenic Sand Concrete from the Philippines

and

Materials 2023, 16(6), 2306; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16062306 - 13 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1013

Abstract

The river sand in the Santo Tomas River area of the Philippines is a kind of volcanogenic sand. The sand is fine sand with a fineness modulus of 2.2, an apparent density of 2380 kg/m³, a bulk density of 1320 kg/m³, a mud content of 6.7%, a methylene blue value of 1.2, a soluble chloride ion content of 0.00071%, and a light-matter content of up to 12.2%, which does not meet the requirements of the three-zone grading. Based on a series of experiments, this paper systematically studies and compares the workability, mechanical properties, and durability of two kinds of concrete with the river sand in the Santo Tomas River area and natural river sand in Beijing, China as fine aggregates, respectively. In addition, volcanogenic sand in the Philippines is technically optimized for the purpose of in-depth study. After optimization, such sand reaches the standard of Zone II-graded medium sand and is comprehensively improved in performance, which is evidenced by a fineness modulus of 2.4, an apparent density of 2570 kg/m³, a bulk density of 1550 kg/m³, a light-matter content of 6.0%, and a mud content of 6.7%. Study results show that in terms of mechanical properties, the concrete made of the optimized river sand in the Santo Tomas River area is superior to that made from the natural river sand in the Beijing area. In addition, separated light matter can be used as a natural light aggregate, which has a bulk density of 960 kg/m³, a cylindrical compressive strength of 2.5 MPa, and a 1 h water absorption of 8.2%, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Science and Technology for Silicate-Based Construction and Building Materials)

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20 pages, 14602 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Utilization of Construction and Demolition Mix Waste in the Fired Brick Production: The Impact on Mechanical Properties

and

Laishram Boeing Singh

Materials 2023, 16(1), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010262 - 27 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1568

Abstract

The European Green Deal, which emphasizes zero-waste economies, and waste recycling in construction and building materials, has arisen due to significant worldwide needs for solid waste recovery and usage. This ambitious study focuses on recycling mixed construction and demolition (C&D) waste into burnt bricks and investigating the influence of firing temperature. While pursuing its objectives, this is dependent on raw material characterization and burnt-brick product quality assessment. The recycling of mixed C&D waste is explored by mixing the waste into two soil types (alluvial and laterite) in ratios ranging from 5% to 45% at three firing temperatures (700 °C, 850 °C and 900 °C). The utilization of mixed C&D waste in amounts of 10% at 700 °C and 25% at 850 °C and 900 °C fulfilled the Indian standard. Although a fire at 700 °C results in less optimal waste utilization, it is beneficial and recommended for reducing the carbon footprint and energy use. Additional mineralogical and microstructural analyzes are performed on the optimal fired samples. The study’s findings are promising for sustainable resource usage, reducing carbon footprint, and reducing waste disposal volume. This research is a big step toward the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and a circular economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Science and Technology for Silicate-Based Construction and Building Materials)

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8 pages, 664 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Thermodynamic Modeling Study of Carbonation of Portland Cement

Kamasani Chiranjeevi Reddy

Nahom S. Melaku

and

Solmoi Park

Materials 2022, 15(14), 5060; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15145060 - 20 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1516

Abstract

The assessment of the extent of carbonation and related phase changes is important for the evaluation of the durability aspects of concrete. The phase assemblage of Portland cements with different clinker compositions is evaluated using thermodynamic calculations. Four different compositions of cements, as specified by ASTM cements types I to IV, are considered in this study. Calcite, zeolites, and gypsum were identified as carbonation products. CO₂ content required for full carbonation had a direct relationship with the initial volume of phases. The CO₂ required for portlandite determined the initiation of carbonation of C-S-H. A continual decrease in the pH of pore solution and a decrease in Ca/Si is observed with the carbonation of C-S-H. Type II cement exhibited rapid carbonation at relatively less CO₂for full carbonation, while type III required more CO₂ to carbonate to the same level as other types of cement. The modeling of carbonation of different Portland cements provided insights into the quantity of CO₂ required to destabilize different hydrated products into respective carbonated phases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Science and Technology for Silicate-Based Construction and Building Materials)

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Review

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31 pages, 1972 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

A Critical Review on Modification Methods of Cement Composites with Nanocellulose and Reaction Conditions during Nanocellulose Production

Małgorzata Szafraniec

Ewelina Grabias-Blicharz

Danuta Barnat-Hunek

and

Eric N. Landis

Materials 2022, 15(21), 7706; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15217706 - 02 Nov 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1489

Abstract

Nanocellulose (NC) is a natural polymer that has driven significant progress in recent years in the study of the mechanical properties of composites, including cement composites. Impressive mechanical properties, ability to compact the cement matrix, low density, biodegradability, and hydrophilicity of the surface of nanocellulose particles (which improves cement hydration) are some of the many benefits of using NCs in composite materials. The authors briefly presented a description of the types of NCs (including the latest, little-known shapes), showing the latest developments in their manufacture and modification. Moreover, NC challenges and opportunities are discussed to reveal its hidden potential, as well as the use of spherical and square/rectangular nanocellulose to modify cement composites. Intending to emphasize the beneficial use of NC in cementitious composites, this article discusses NC as an eco-friendly, low-cost, and efficient material, particularly for recycling readily available cellulosic waste. In view of the constantly growing interest in using renewable and waste materials in a wide range of applications, the authors hope to provide progress in using nanocellulose (NC) as a modifier for cement composites. Furthermore, this review highlights a gap in research regarding the preparation of new types of NCs, their application, and their impact on the properties of cementitious composites. Finally, the authors summarize and critically evaluate the type, dosage, and application method of NC, as well as the effects of these variables on the final properties of NC-derived cement composites. Nevertheless, this review article stresses up-to-date challenges for NC-based materials as well as future remarks in light of dwindling natural resources (including building materials), and the principles of a circular economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Science and Technology for Silicate-Based Construction and Building Materials)

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