Jamel Bouaziz

Synthesis, characterization and bioactivity of a calcium-phosphate glass-ceramics obtained by the sol-gel processing method

In this work, a calcium-phosphate glass-ceramics was successfully obtained by heat treatment of a mixture of 26.52 in wt.% of fluorapatite (Fap) and 73.48 in wt.% of 77S (77 SiO214 CaO9 P2O5 in wt.%) gel. The calcium phosphate-glass-ceramics was prepared by sol-gel process with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), triethyl phosphate (TEP), calcium nitrate and fluorapatite. The synthesized powders were characterized by some commonly used tools such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 31P magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and thin-film X-ray diffraction (TF-XRD). The obtained results seemed to confirm the nucleation and growth of hydroxyapatite (Hap) nano-phase in the glass. Moreover, an in-vitro evaluation of the glass-ceramic was performed. In addition, to assess its bioactive capacity, it was soaked in simulated body fluid (SBF) at different time intervals. The SEM, EDS and TF-XRD analyses showed the deposition of hydroxyapatite on the surface of the specimens after three days of immersion in SBF solution. The mechanical properties of the obtained material such as rupture strength, Vickers hardness and elastic modulus were measured. In addition, the friction coefficient of calcium phosphate-glass-ceramics was tested. The values of the composite of rupture strength (24MPa), Vickers hardness (214Hv), Youngs modulus (52.3GPa), shear modulus (19GPa) and friction coefficient (0.327) were obtained. This glass-ceramics can have useful applications in dental prostheses. Indeed, this material may have promising applications for implants because of its content of fluorine, the effective protector against dental caries.

Durability of Steel Fibres Reinforcement Concrete Beams in Chloride Environment Combined with Inhibitor

This paper presented the effect of the combination of an inhibitor and steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) for concrete structures in chloride environments. Twelve beams were cast and tested to study their flexural behavior. The morphology of steel surfaces using the inhibitor after observing the scanning electron microscope showed a low layer of corrosion products. The steel surface immersed in the inhibitor free solution was seen to have been subject to chloride ions attacks as shown in this study. The interest to the field of the present study is the relatively higher durability of the performance when using the inhibitor. Crack width and crack spacing for beams under the same load showed that the use of SFRC with the inhibitor for concrete structures in chloride environments must have transferred tension across cracks that led to reducing crack spacing without any chloride ions attack.

Prediction performance of compressive strength of cementitious materials containing rubber aggregates and filler using fuzzy logic method

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on compressive strength modelling of cementitious mixtures like mortar and Roller-compacted concrete (RCC) containing rubber aggregates from shredded worn tires and filler using adaptive neuro fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS). Design/methodology/approach The volume substitution contains a ratio of rubber aggregates vs sand in mortar and with crushed sand in RCC and ranges from 0 to 50 per cent. As for the filler, they are substituted with sand by 5 per cent in mortar mixture. The methodology consists of optimizing the percentage of substitution in cementitious mixtures to ensure better mechanical properties of materials like compressive strength. The prediction of compressive strength and the optimization of cementitious mixtures encourage their uses in such construction pavements, in area games or in other special constructions. These cementitious materials are considered as friendly to the environment by focussing on their improved deformability. Findings The results of this paper show that the performance of the constructed fuzzy method was measured by correlation of experimental and model results of mortar and RCC mixtures containing both rubber aggregates and filler. The comparison between elaborated models through the error and the accuracy calculations confirms the reliability of the ANFIS method. Originality/value The purpose of this paper is to assess the performance of the constructed fuzzy model by the ANFIS method for two types of cementitious materials like mortar and RCC containing rubber aggregates and filler. The fuzzy method could predict the compressive strength based on the limited measurement values in the mechanical experiment. Furthermore, the comparison between the elaborated models confirms the reliability of the ANFIS method through the error and the accuracy calculations for the best cementitious material mixtures.

Effect of K3PO4, K2HPO4, KH2PO4 and H3PO4 as Dispersing Agents on the Rheological Behaviour of Kaolin Suspensions

Effects of phosphate addition on the rheological properties of kaolin suspensions were investigated. Various phosphate compounds were added, such as orthophosphoric acid (H3PO4), potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4), potassium monohydrogen phosphate (K2HPO4) and potassium phosphate (K3PO4). The rheological properties of kaolin suspensions were studied in connection with the mass ratios of kaolin and dispersants. The obtained data showed that the viscosity decreased according to the order: H3PO4>KH2PO4>K2HPO4>K3PO4. Use of K3PO4 as a dispersant led to the reduction of viscosity of the kaolin suspension to 1/6th of that of the original one even when it was used at a lower rate of about 0.05 wt%.