Durability and compressive strength of blast furnace slag-based cement grout for special geotechnical applications

Special foundations, most prominently micropiles and soil anchors, are frequently used in construction today. In Spain, the grout for these special technical applications is generally prepared with portland cement, although the codes and standards in place stipulate only the minimum compressive strength required, with no mention of cement type. Those texts also establish a range of acceptable water:cement ratios. In the present study, durability and compressive strength in cement grout prepared with blast furnace slag cement at different w/c ratios are characterised and compared to the findings for a reference portland cement grout. The results show that slag grout exhibits greater durability than the portland cement material and complies with the compressive strength requirements laid down in the respective codes.

Capillary microreactors based on hierarchical SiO2 monoliths incorporating noble metal nanoparticles for the Preferential Oxidation of CO

Novel hierarchical SiO2 monolithic microreactors loaded with either Pd or Pt nanoparticles have been prepared in fused silica capillaries and tested in the Preferential Oxidation of CO (PrOx) reaction. Pd and Pt nanoparticles were prepared by the reduction by solvent method and the support used was a mesoporous SiO2 monolith prepared by a well-established sol–gel methodology. Comparison of the activity with an equivalent powder catalyst indicated that the microreactors show an enhanced catalytic behavior (both in terms of CO conversion and selectivity) due to the superior mass and heat transfer processes that take place inside the microchannel. TOF values at low CO conversions have been found to be ∼2.5 times higher in the microreactors than in the powder catalyst and the residence time seems to have a noticeable influence over the selectivity of the catalysts designed for this reaction. The Pd and Pt flexible microreactors developed in this work have proven to be effective for the CO oxidation reaction both in the presence and absence of H2, standing out as a very interesting and suitable option for the development of CO purification systems of small dimensions for portable and on-board applications.