CAREER: Mechanisms of Hydration Kinetics and Property Development in Activated Slag and Fly Ash Multiphase Sustainable Binder Systems

这项教师早期职业发展（Career）计划的目标是研究活化的磨粒高炉矿渣和粉煤灰的水化机制，以设计性能更好的粘结剂体系。采用不同的表征技术，确定矿渣和粉煤灰在碱性介质中的溶解机理、产物相的成核、生长和扩散以及各相水化的相互依赖关系。还将探讨通过影响产物相成核的类型和速率来改变活化粘合剂反应动力学的方法。基于成核和生长原理以及化学动力学的分析水化模型将被开发出来，考虑到这些系统中水化的多阶段、多阶段的性质。该项目的教育计划通过研究整合了更广泛的课程开发，K-12扩展计划的开发整合了拟议的研究，以及通过少数民族学生招募的多样性倡议，与研究部分紧密结合。本研究旨在了解矿渣与粉煤灰活化体系反应动力学的基本机理，为开发性能更好、二氧化碳足迹更低、蕴含能量更低的可持续建筑材料提供理论依据。这也是设计这种革命性混凝土以提高该领域接受度的关键一步。考虑到活化体系的多相/多阶段特性所带来的复杂性影响的水化模型将是一个新的发展方向。为将来的土木工程学生做准备？美国的技术领导者是通过提出的土木工程课程的进步设想。

The objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program award is to investigate the hydration mechanism of activated ground granulated blast furnace slag and fly ash for designing binder systems with improved performance. The mechanism of dissolution of slag and fly ash in alkaline medium, product phase nucleation, growth and diffusion, and interdependence of hydration of individual phases will be determined using different characterization techniques. Methods for modifying reaction kinetics of the activated binders, by influencing the type and rate of product phase nucleation will also be explored. Analytical hydration models based on nucleation and growth principles, and chemical kinetics will be developed for activated binders considering the multi-phase, multi-stage nature of hydration in these systems. The educational plan in this project is strongly integrated with research component through research integrated broader curriculum development, development of K-12 outreach program integrating proposed research, and diversity initiative through minority student recruitments. The research is to understand the fundamental mechanism of the reaction kinetics of slag and fly ash activated systems, and the results will promote alternative sustainable construction materials with better performance, lower CO2 foot print and lower embodied energy. It is also a crucial step toward engineering this revolutionary concrete for increased acceptance in the field. The hydration model, incorporating the effect of complexities due to multi-phase/multi-stage nature of the activated systems, will be a new development. Preparing civil engineering students as tomorrow?s technological leaders is envisioned through the proposed advancement in civil engineering curriculum.