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The objective of this study is to gather additional on the impact of perlite on both the mechanical properties and resistance to chemical attacks of materials. Various combinations ,incorporating perlite in the form of cement additions, were examined. Five different substitution rates of 10 %, 15 %, 20 %, 25 %,and 30 % of cement with powder perlite were utilized for comparison with plain cement. The findings indicate that the interaction between lime,silica,and alumina in powder perlite results in the formation of several hydrates, such as calcium silicate hydrate, hydrated calcium aluminates,and hydrated gelhenite.Our research focuses on the development of natural perlite from maghnia as a potentially pozzolanic supplementary cementing material. In evaluating the pozzolanicity of this material, it was observed that external aggressions, such as chlorides, CO2, and chemical attacks, can compromise the physical and mechanical properties of concrete,affecting its long-term durability. However,natural pozzolans like pelite exhibit a positive influence on the durability of mortars against sulphate attacks. Test results revealed specimens with no apparent degradation, indicating that sulphate ions in the solution did not adversely affect perlite-based mortars. There is a growing preference for mineral additives with lower production costs than cement. Consequently, the optimal mixture was determined to be one containing 25 % perlite. However, cement pastes and mortars incorporating up to 20 % perlite demonstrated satisfactory physical and mechanical properties, comparable to materials without perlite. The investigation into the perlite materials used in conjunction with cement suggests the potential for sustainable concrete. Experimental results indicate that natural perlite powder from Maghnia can be considered a good pozzolanic material, suitable as a mineral admixture in cement production.

Salt crystallization is a particularly relevant issue in the conservation of limestones used in Cultural Heritage sites. In this study, various facies of limestones were characterized through porosimetric and mechanical tests. The samples were subjected to experiments to determine their resistance to salt crystallization by verifying the number of cycles at which 50% of them began to lose weight. This number of experimental cycles was compared with the result calculated by the analytical procedure of a chemomechanical model found in the literature. The comparison showed a significant capability of the model to predict the experimental data.

Atenolol (ATL) is a beta-blocker pharmaceutical product which is excreted mainly unchanged and may represent a long-term risk for organisms present in the sea and in fresh water. Due to its low biodegradation rate, electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) can be used to remove this compound. In this work, ATL ecotoxicity was analyzed in the presence of sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), which is widely used as supporting electrolyte in EAOPs. Ecotoxicity values were expressed as the pollutant concentration that leads to a 50% inhibition of the root elongation of Lactuca sativa seeds in relation to the control (EC50(5 days)). The obtained values for ATL showed an EC50(5 days) of 1377 mg L−1 towards Lactuca sativa. When Na2SO4 was added, the toxicity of the sample increased but no synergy was detected between both compounds. With 2 g L−1 Na2SO4, ATL showed an EC50(5 days) of 972 mg L−1; and with 4 g L−1 Na2SO4 and higher concentrations, EC50 value for ATL was 0 mg L−1. Statistical tools were used to obtain the zones of the [ATL]-[Na2SO4] plane which are toxic towards Lactuca sativa.Solutions containing ATL and Na2SO4 were treated by electrooxidation. Two anode materials (a boron-doped diamond electrode and a microporous Sb-doped SnO2 ceramic one); three operation currents (0.4, 0.6 and 1 A); and two reactor configurations (one-compartment reactor and two-compartment reactor separated by a cation exchange membrane) were used. Lactuca sativa seeds and Vibrio fischeri bacterium tests were employed to evaluate the toxicity of the solutions before and after applying the electrooxidation process. In all the tests, the ecotoxicity of the treated sample increased. This fact is owing to the persulfate presence in the solution due to the sulfate electrochemical oxidation. Nevertheless, none of the final samples were toxic towards Vibrio fischeri because ecotoxicity values were lower than 10 TU; and, in the case of the one-compartment reactor, practically all of them were also non-toxic towards Lactuca sativa. The toxicity of the treated samples increased when using the two-compartment reactor in the presence of the BDD anode, and when the operation current was increased. This is attributed to the highest formation of persulfates. Amongst all the tests performed in this work, the lowest toxicity value (i.e., 3 TU) together with the complete mineralization and degradation degrees was achieved with the two-compartment reactor using the BDD anode and operating at 0.6 A.

Five new sulfated arylpyrrole and arylpyrrolone alkaloids, denigrins H–L (1–5), along with two known compounds, dictyodendrin B and denigrin G, were isolated from an extract of a New Zealand Dictyodendrilla c.f. dendyi marine sponge. Denigrins H–L represent the first examples of sulfated denigrins, with denigrins H and I (1–2), as derivatives of denigrin D, containing a pyrrolone core, and denigrins J–L (3–5), as derivatives of denigrin E (6), containing a pyrrole core. Their structures were elucidated by interpretation of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data, ESI, and HR-ESI-MS spectrometric data, as well as comparison with literature data. Compounds 1–5, along with six known compounds previously isolated from the same extract, showed minimal cytotoxicity against the HeLa cervical cancer cell line.

There are numerous issues in the mainstream process of alkali decomposition of tungsten ores, such as large water consumption, large amounts of wastewater, and high processing costs, which add the dual pressure of economic and environmental protection on smelting enterprises and prevent them from meeting the industry’s development needs. As a result of a series of studies on scheelite roasting and decomposition processes, our team innovatively proposed the use of acid roasting to develop the process of sulfate decomposition of scheelite so that CaWO4 in the scheelite could be transformed directly into WO3. In addition to WO3, the roasting products contained soluble Na2SO4 and insoluble CaSO4. Because CaSO4 can be dissolved in hydrochloric acid, it can be separated from WO3 via hydrochloric acid leaching to further enrich WO3, resulting in a higher-grade material for subsequent procedures. In the presence of Na2SO4, its effect on the dissolution of WO3 or CaSO4 in hydrochloric acid will directly determine the separation effect of calcium and tungsten in the roasting products. Thus, using pure substances such as WO3, CaSO4, and Na2SO4 as raw materials, the dissolution behaviors of WO3, CaSO4, and WO3–CaSO4 in HCl–Na2SO4 solution were investigated separately via isothermal equilibrium dissolution to investigate the effects of hydrochloric acid concentration, sodium sulfate concentration, dissolution time, and dissolution temperature on the solubility of WO3, CaSO4, and WO3–CasO4 in HCl–Na2SO4 solution. The analysis shows that WO3 and CaSO4 have very different solubilities in hydrochloric acid. The solubility of CaSO4 in hydrochloric acid increases with temperature and hydrochloric acid concentration when the dissolution time is 0.5–2.5 h, the hydrochloric acid concentration is 1–5 mol·L−1, the molar ratio of HCl and Na2SO4 is 1∶2–2∶1, and the dissolution temperature is 40–80 ℃. The solubility of calcium sulfate in hydrochloric acid increases with the increase in temperature and hydrochloric acid concentration. When the temperature is 80 ℃ and the concentration of hydrochloric acid is 3 mol·L−1, the solubility of calcium sulfate in hydrochloric acid reaches a peak of 55 g·L−1. Due to the same ion effect, Na2SO4 can significantly reduce the solubility of CaSO4 and narrow the solubility difference between CaSO4 and WO3 in hydrochloric acid. CaSO4 has the highest solubility in HCl–Na2SO4 solution at 17.04 g·L−1. The dissolved WO3, whose solubility is maintained at 0.3–3 g·L−1, can be effectively recovered by using the current mature low-tungsten recovery process. Therefore, when CaSO4 and WO3 coexist in hydrochloric acid, increasing the concentration of hydrochloric acid and the dissolution temperature while decreasing the concentration of Na2SO4 can increase the solubility difference between them and achieve separation.

To promote the large-scale recycling of solid waste, the hydration characteristics of blended cement with different amounts of GGBS (ground granulated blast-furnace slag) and SS (steel slag) were investigated. The optimum blending amounts of GGBS and SS in cement were 40% and 10% by mass, and the optimum dosage of Na2SO4 in the C50-S40-SS10 (50 wt.% cement–40 wt.% slag–10 wt.% steel slag) system was 2 wt.%. The flexural and compressive strengths of the C50-S40-SS10 system after adding 2 wt.% Na2SO4 are 57.95% and 9.28% higher than that of pure cement at 28 d. XRD, FT-IR and Ca(OH)2 content analysis were chosen to investigate the hydration products of pure cement and blended cement. The results show that GGBS enhanced the hydration of both cement and SS. And GGBS contributed to the generation of calcium silicoaluminate hydrate (C–A–S–H) in the blended cement system. The addition of Na2SO4 promoted the hydration reaction and contributed to the generation of ettringite (AFt) in the ternary system. The hydration heat evolution results showed that GGBS and SS can reduce the hydration heat of cement. Na2SO4 had similar effects and delayed the time of AFt conversion to monosulfide calcium sulphoaluminate (AFm). A mutual activation mechanism of cement–GGBS–SS ternary system mixed with Na2SO4 was proposed in this study.

Soluble salts are compounds found inside ornamental rocks and building stones exposed to atmospheric agents in environments rich in alkaline metal ions, such as sodium and potassium. The damage induced by their crystallization in those materials, used to build monuments and architectural structures of great importance, is an unsolved problem. Sodium sulfate is one of the most common and harmful salt found in these constructions. In this work, we studied the resistance through time to the wet-drying cycles of some natural stones (calcarenites, marbles, and sandstones) that have been utilized in the historical architecture in Italy. Samples were freshly cut and thermally aged to simulate increasing decay. Induced porosity in the thermally degraded samples was high in calcarenites, medium in marbles, and low in sandstones. Specimens subjected to artificial thermal aging lost a major percentage of mass compared to the non-weathered ones, when affected by the crystallization of soluble salts. With this study, we have observed that samples subjected to different wetting and drying cycles degrade faster due to the action of soluble salts, compared to samples that are not subjected to these cycles.

In many parts of Iran, especially in the southern regions of the country where concrete is exposed to seawater, sulfates are the main destructive factors of concrete. The main factors related to the durability of concrete are the type of materials, concrete structure, density, and curing. Inadequate compaction of concrete due to the lack of acceptable vibration in the limited parts between the formwork and rebars is one of the main factors of low structural reliability exposed to sulfates. Due to the lack of information related to the effect of aggregate strength on the performance of self-compacting concrete, in this paper, the effects of type and strength of aggregates on the durability of self-compacting concrete against sodium sulfate is presented. Granite, marble, andesite, rhyolite, travertine, lime, green tuff, crystalline green tuff, and basalt were used to make concrete. "Twist-off" and "Drilled core" tests were employed to measure the compressive strength of rocks. "Twist-off" test is an accurate method with a wide range of applications in determining the strength of materials both in the laboratory and on site and is considered as a fast, accurate and low-cost technique with minor failure in the field of semi-destructive testing. The attractiveness of this method is in accuracy, speed, simplicity, minor breakdown, and low cost of doing it, which makes it more comparable than other on-site tests. This test can be performed in horizontal, vertical, and generally on any smooth surface without the need for prior planning. The tools used in this test are very simple and accessible and performing the test does not require previous skills. The experiments were performed at ages 7, 14, and 28. The results show a direct relationship between the strength of the parent rock and the strength of self-compacting concrete made with of rock. At an early age, there is an increase in compressive strength of samples placed in sodium sulfate compared to samples treated in water. Also, a high correlation coefficient was obtained between the results of the "twist-off" test and the "Drilled core" test, which could be used to measure the compressive strength of rocks with the "twist-off" test with high confidence.

To achieve an adjustable setting time and significantly improved early strength of a new type of sulphoaluminate cement-based double-liquid grouting material (SACDL), the effects of calcium formate, sodium sulfate, lithium carbonate, and a composite early strength agent on the setting hardening and early hydration behavior of SACDL paste were studied by means of setting time, fluidity, compressive strength, and viscosity tests. The results showed that the adsorption and osmosis of calcium formate, the complex decomposition of sodium sulfate, the precipitation polarization of lithium carbonate and the synergistic action of the composite early strength agent could accelerate the early hydration rate of SACDL, shorten the coagulation time, and improve the early strength of SACDL. The composite effect of 0.8% calcium formate and 0.5% sodium sulfate is the most significant in promoting coagulation and early strength; the initial setting time and final setting time of the slurry were shortened to 5 min and 10 min, respectively; and the 3 h compressive strength was capable of reaching 16.7 MPa, 31% higher than that of the blank group. In addition, X-ray diffraction and SEM morphology observation were used to study the composition of the hydration products and the evolution of the microstructure, which revealed the early hydration mechanism of SACDL under the synergistic effect of the composite early strength agent: (1) The solubility of tricalcium aluminate (C3A) and dihydrate gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) increased under the low content composite early strength agent condition, which increased the ettringite (AFt) formation rate. HCOO− was able to penetrate the hydration layers of tricalcium silicate (C3S) and dicalcium silicate (C2S), accelerating the dissolution of C3S and C2S and promoting the early hydration of SACDL. (2) Under the condition of a high dosage of the composite early strength agent, the further increase in Ca2+ concentration promoted the crystallization nodules and precipitation of CH and accelerated the formation of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gel. C-S-H was filled between a large number of rod-like AFt crystals, thus making the structure more dense.

This article demonstrates the possibility of producing hybrid cementitious materials (pastes, mortars, concretes, and precast elements) based on fly ash (FA) and construction and demolition wastes (CDW) using alkaline activation technology. Sodium sulfate was used as an activator and fine and coarse aggregates were obtained from CDW residues. An addition of Portland cement (OPC) (10 to 30%) allowed for improvement in the mechanical behavior of the hybrid cements and them to be cured at room temperature (25 °C). The FA and CDW cementitious materials obtained compressive strengths of 37 MPa and 32 MPa, respectively. The compressive strength of FA and CDW alkali-activated concretes at 28 days of curing was 22 MPa and 18 MPa, respectively, which identifies them as structural concretes according to NSR-10 title C in Colombia. The potential use of these concretes was validated by obtaining and classifying precast materials.

The study on multi source solid wastes solidified organic clay is limited, as well as engineering application in deep mixing pile. In this paper, steel slag powder (SS) and high calcium fly ash (HCFA) are used as raw materials, by-product sodium sulfate was recycled to develop a kind of multi-source solid waste based low carbon emission solidifying material. The solidification mechanism was analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG) and pH tests. Finally, the solidifying agent was applied to the deep mixing pile project, and the solidification effect was studied. The results reveal that the fluidity of preferred multi-source solid waste based solidifying agent slurry was 170 mm (50 °C, 1 h), which is 55% higher than that of cement. The optimum content of solidifying agent in organic clay was determined as 27%, and the unconfined compressive strength (28d) of the solidified soil was 5 MPa. Na2SO4 showed double effect of alkali activation and dense packing. The pH of solidifying agent slurry was maintained at 13.31 after the addition of 0.7% Na2SO4. More C-S-H and AFt generated under the effect of pH and SO42-. The application study reveals that the multi-source solid waste based solidifying agent deep mixing pile exhibited excellent pile integrity in organic clay. The compressive strength of deep mixing pile with the 40 kg/m solidifying agent at the curing of 14d and 28d is 0.95 MPa and 2.77 MPa, respectively. Solidifying agent deep mixing pile field strength prediction equation “y = 0.832x+ 0.1225, R2 = 0.936″ was proposed.

Epichlorohydrin (ECH) is toxic to humans via multiple routes and is a potential carcinogen. The accurate measurement of ECH at trace level (

This paper aimed to analyze the reduction in the ballast layer permeability simulated in a laboratory in saturated conditions by the presence of rock dust as a contaminant of three types of rocks explored in different deposits in the northern region of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, through laboratory testing relating the physical properties of rock particles before and after sodium sulfate attack. Sodium sulfate attack is justified by the proximity of some sections of the planned EF-118 Vitória-Rio railway line to the coast and of the sulfated water table to the ballast bed, which could degrade the material used and compromise the railway track. Granulometry and permeability tests were performed to compare ballast samples with fouling rates of 0, 10, 20, and 40% rock dust by volume. A constant head permeameter was used to analyze hydraulic conductivity and establish correlations between the petrography and mercury intrusion porosimetry of the rocks, namely two types of metagranite (Mg1 and Mg3) and a gneisse (Gn2). Rocks, such as Mg1 and Mg3, with a larger composition of minerals susceptible to weathering according to petrography analyses, tend to be more sensitive to weathering tests. This, in conjunction with the climate in the region studied, with average annual temperature and rainfall of 27 °C and 1200 mm, could compromise track safety and user comfort. Additionally, the Mg1 and Mg3 samples showed greater percentage variation in wear after the Micro-Deval test, which could damage the ballast due to the considerable changeability of the material. The mass loss caused by abrasion due to the passage of rail vehicles was assessed by the Micro-Deval test, with Mg3 (intact rock) declining from 8.50 ± 1.5 to 11.04 ± 0.5% after chemical attack. However, Gn2, which exhibited the greatest mass loss among the samples, showed no significant variation in average wear, and its mineralogical characteristics remained almost unchanged after 60 sodium sulfate cycles. These aspects, combined with its satisfactory hydraulic conductivity rate, indicate that Gn2 is suitable for use as railway ballast in the EF-118 railway line.

In this study, light-burnt dolomite powder was substituted for up to 20% of ground granulated blast-furnace slag in sodium sulfate-activated slag systems. The effects of light-burnt dolomite incorporation on compressive strength were investigated. Mineralogical analysis included XRD and FT-IR. Microstructure analysis included MIP and SEM examination. The durability properties, including carbonation depth and chloride penetration, were also investigated. The results indicate that the inclusion of LBD enhanced hydrotalcite and calcite formation and resulted in dense microstructures. All specimens with LBD had better mechanical and durability properties than did mixtures without LBD. Compared with 10% LBD incorporation, 20% LBD incorporation had fewer negative effects on mechanical and durability properties.

Sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) is a readily available chlorine-free source of sodium, which could be used to reduce sodium chloride to maintain the ratio between chlorine and sodium in poultry diets. Dietary supplementation with excessive levels of Na2SO4 might be detrimental to bird's health and performance. A subchronic study was carried out to investigate the potential adverse effects of an accidental oversupply of Na2SO4 in the diets of laying hens. Four hundred and fifty 21-week-old Hy-Line White layers were randomly assigned to 5 treatments with 6 replicates. The birds were fed diets supplemented with 0 (control), 0.3%, 0.6%, 1.5%, and 3.0% Na2SO4 for 8 weeks. Laying performance, egg quality parameters, clinical blood parameters, histopathology, intestinal barrier functions, and intestinal microflora composition were measured. No clinical signs of intoxication or mortality were observed during the experimental period. The results of this study showed that the optimal levels of Na2SO4 (0.3% to 0.6%) significantly improved the laying rates, average daily egg mass, and eggshell quality of hens compared to the control (P

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) has been produced in large quantities for the use in various applications. As a consequence, PFOS is ubiquitous in the environment. Managing transportation of PFOS requires a clear understanding of PFOS mobilization in soils and their interactions with different soil components. The current study investigated a pH-dependent sorption of PFOS isomers onto soil and the effect of dissolved humic substances and Na2SO4. Sorption experiments of PFOS isomers was conducted on top and subsoils to assess their capacity to retain PFOS. Topsoil and subsoil samples were sampled from two areas in Kvarntorp, Kumla, Sweden. Sorption experiments were performed by shaking a mixture of soil and soil solutions spiked with PFOS isomers. One way ANOVA showed that linear PFOS (L-PFOS) and branched PFOS (Br-PFOS) isomers showed different sorption behavior onto soils. Calculated logarithmic partition coefficients revealed that L-PFOS is readily sorbed onto soils sampled at area 1) at very low pH (

An ion chromatography technique with conductivity detection was selected as an analytical tool for the simultaneous indirect determination of sodium sulfate, potassium sulfate, and magnesium sulfate via their respective cations. The method was developed and validated for the quantitative assay of the inorganic salts under study in oral pharmaceutical dosage forms. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Dionex®IonPac® CS16 column (250 × 5 mm) column using the gradient elution method. A mobile phase-A consisting of methane sulfonic acid (6.7%, v/v) in Milli-Q water, which is used together with Milli-Q water, was used as a mobile Phase-B. The flow rate was 1.2 mL/min. The retention times of sodium, potassium, and magnesium as sulfates were 7.8, 12.8, and 16.2 min, respectively. The method was validated according to ICH guidelines and showed good linearity and accuracy results within concentration ranges of 80.0–240.0, 20.0–60.0, and 4.5–13.5 ppm for sodium, potassium, and magnesium as sulfates, respectively. The relative standard deviation results for intra- and inter-day precision were less than 1.0%. The method was applied successfully for determination of the analytes under study in their mixed pharmaceutical oral solution and found suitable for their routine and stability analysis.

This study investigated the influence of aggressive acid and sulfate media on the phase transformation of cement materials to which natural rubber latex was added. After 28 days of curing underwater, all samples were subjected to sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) solutions for 0, 7, 14, or 28 days. After that, X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used for phase identification. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) was used to confirm the chemical functionally of the samples. The microstructure and elemental composition were also studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy X-ray dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. XRD data showed no evidence of any clear relationship in rubber-modified cement pastes between any phase transformation and natural rubber content. FTIR results confirm the presence of portlandite, calcite, gypsum and C–S–H phases and indicate interaction between the rubber and cement phases. The inclusion of natural rubber latex in cement led to formation of a water channel structure of the bassanite phase (CaSO4 0.625H2O) after 14 and 28 days of exposure to sulfuric acid solutions. Bassanite (CaSO4 0.5H2O) and the water channel structures of bassanite were not found in the samples after sodium sulfate attack. Based on the results of compressive strength tests, it was suggested that an optimal ratio (rubber/cement = 11.11%) enhanced the stability of cement paste after acid and sulfate exposure. From SEM images, a major change in morphology was observed for samples exposed to H2SO4 compared to those subjected to Na2SO4.

Abstract Sulfate attack is a term used to describe a series of chemical reactions between sulfate ions and hydrated compounds of the hardened cement paste. The present study aims to evaluate the physical (linear expansion, flexural and compressive strength) and mineralogical properties (X-ray diffraction) of three different mortar compositions (Portland Cement CPV-ARI with limestone filler and, with a quartz filler, in both cases with 10% replacement of the cement by weight) against sodium and magnesium sulfate attack (concentration of SO4 2- equal to 0.7 molar). The data collected indicate that the replacing the cement by the two fillers generate different results, the quartz filler presented a mitigating behaviour towards the sulfate, and the limestone filler was harmful to Portland cement mortars, in both physical and chemical characteristics.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary chloride (Cl) levels on performance, eggshell mechanical quality, and ultrastructure in layers based on the substitution of sodium chloride (NaCl) by sodium sulfate (Na2SO4). Three hundred sixty Jing Brown laying hens aged 43 wk were randomly divided into 5 groups and fed with corn–soybean meal diets containing 0.06, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.25% total Cl inclusion. Every group had 8 replicates of 9 birds each. The feeding trial lasted for 12 wk. The results showed dietary 0.06% Cl due to complete substitution of NaCl by Na2SO4, depressed performance (P < 0.05) from 45 to 54 wk of age, increased serum creatinine level (P < 0.05), and caused visible renal tubular atrophy. Dietary Cl levels quadratically affected breaking strength, thickness, and weight of eggshell (P < 0.05). Better eggshell quality could be obtained when NaCl was partly replaced by Na2SO4 in laying hen diets maintaining Cl level at 0.10 or 0.15%. Moreover, the eggshell ash content was affected by Cl levels in a quadratic (P < 0.001) manner, with higher values observed in the 0.10 and 0.15% Cl groups (P < 0.05). Besides, the eggshell ultrastructural data showed that the total thickness and effective thickness significantly increased (P < 0.05) and mammillary thickness decreased (P < 0.05) in the group of dietary 0.15% Cl compared with the groups of 0.06 and 0.25% Cl. In conclusion, the complete substitution of dietary NaCl by Na2SO4 may induce Cl deficiency and depress laying performance and eggshell quality. Na2SO4 could partly replace NaCl in diets for laying hens (43–54 wk of age) without adverse effects on performance at the dietary Cl level from 0.10 to 0.25%. Better eggshell quality could be obtained when NaCl was partly replaced by Na2SO4 in laying hen diets maintaining Cl level at ∼0.15%.

Optimal bowel preparation is essential for a more accurate, comfortable, and safe colonoscopy. The majority of postcolonoscopy colorectal cancers can be explained by procedural factors, mainly missed polyps or inadequate examination. Therefore the most important goal of optimal bowel preparation is to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer. Although adequate preparation should be achieved in 85-90% or more of all colonoscopy as a quality indicator, unfortunately 20-30% shows inadequate preparation. Laxatives for oral colonoscopy bowel preparation can be classified into polyethylene glycol (PEG)-electrolyte lavage solution, osmotic laxatives, stimulant laxatives, and divided into high-volume solution (≥3 L) and low-volume solution (

High volume fly ash (FA) binders are characterized by long setting times and low early strength. By applying mechanical and/or chemical activation methods, it is possible to increase the reactivity of FA and improve the properties of the binder. In this paper, influence of mechanical activation of FA on the properties of binders prepared with 70% FA and 30% Portland cement was investigated. Additionally, effect of chemical activation of the binder by using sodium sulfate as activator was evaluated. The binder obtained by combining mechanical and chemical activation had the highest early strength (up to 7 days) and the shortest setting times. However, the highest strength of the binder after 90 days was obtained by applying only mechanical activation of FA.

In this present study, the effect of reductant dosage, temperature and holding time on selective reduction process of high alumina-lateritic nickel ore have been investigated clearly. The lateritic nickel ore was reduced with 5 until 15 wt. % anthracite and 10 wt. % sodium sulfate at reduction temperature of 950ºC, 1050ºC and 1150°C for 60, 90, and 120 minutes. Magnetic separation process was then conducted to separate the concentrate and tailing. The analysis of reduced nickel ore is performed by the Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction, and Secondary Electron Microscopy. The optimal process resulted from the reduction of nickel ore with 10 wt. % anthracite at the temperature of 1050°C for 120 minutes which resulted in 0.84% nickel in concentrate. The troilite was not found in reduced ore. The iron grade increased along the increased of reduction temperature. The longer of holding time in selective reduction process increased the nickel grade but it decreased the iron grade.

The main waste formed during the production of alumina by the Bayer method is red mud. This waste has a high content of iron, which can be effectively extracted by the carbothermic reduction and magnetic separation methods. The crucial factors affecting the commercial efficiency of this process are the iron reduction rate and the size of reduced iron particles. This study considers the influence of sodium sulfate addition to red mud on the kinetics of iron reduction and the iron grain growth process. The isothermal kinetics of the iron reduction process at 1000–1200 °C and 5–30 min of time was investigated for the red mud processing without additives and with 13.65% Na2SO4 addition. It was shown that the activation energy value for the reduction without additives was 65 kJ·mol−1, while it was 39 kJ·mol−1 for the reduction with Na2SO4 addition, respectively. Based on the microstructure study of the roasted samples, models were obtained for the calculation of the average diameter of iron grains without and with the additives. The iron grain growth process was thoroughly discussed, and its main mechanism was proposed.

Diffusiophoresis is the migration of a colloidal particle in water driven by concentration gradients of cosolutes such as salts. We have experimentally characterized the diffusiophoresis of tyloxapol micelles in the presence of MgSO4, a strong salting-out agent. Specifically, we determined the multicomponent-diffusion coefficients using Rayleigh interferometry, cloud points, and dynamic-light-scattering diffusion coefficients on the ternary tyloxapol–MgSO4–water system at 25 °C. Our experimental results show that micelle diffusiophoresis occurs from a high to a low salt concentration (positive diffusiophoresis). Moreover, our data were used to characterize the effect of salt concentration on micelle size and salt osmotic diffusion, which occurs from a high to a low surfactant concentration. Although micelle diffusiophoresis can be attributed to the preferential hydration of the polyethylene glycol surface groups, salting-out salts also promote an increase in the size of micellar aggregates, ultimately leading to phase separation at high salt concentration. This complicates diffusiophoresis description, as it is not clear how salt-induced surfactant aggregation contributes to micelle diffusiophoresis. We, therefore, developed a two-state aggregation model that successfully describes the observed effect of salt concentration on the size of tyloxapol micelles, in the case of MgSO4 and the previously reported case of Na2SO4. Our model was then used to theoretically evaluate the contribution of salt-induced aggregation to diffusiophoresis. Our analysis indicates that salt-induced aggregation promotes micelle diffusiophoresis from a low to a high salt concentration (negative diffusiophoresis). However, we also determined that this mechanism marginally contributes to overall diffusiophoresis, implying that preferential hydration is the main mechanism causing micelle diffusiophoresis. Our results suggest that sulfate salts may be exploited to induce the diffusiophoresis of PEG-functionalized particles such as micelles, with potential applications to microfluidics, enhanced oil recovery, and controlled-release technologies.

The mechanical properties of alkali-activated slag fiber composites (ASFC) were investigated with varying volume fractions of PVA (Polyvinyl alcohol) fibers. Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and alkali-activators were used as the main binders instead of cement, which emits a large amount of carbon dioxide during the manufacturing process. The measured slump flow of ASFC showed a high fluidity at a fiber content of 1.5 vol.% or less. The tensile, flexural, and shear strength of ASFC showed higher values as the amount of fiber increased. Compared to the existing high ductility fiber composites showing strain hardening behaviors with a fiber content of 2.0 vol.%, ASFC proved that it could exhibit high ductility characteristics due to multi-microcracks even at low fiber mixing rates of 1.0% and 1.25%. ASFC could be expected to lower the manufacturing cost with a low fiber content and provide improved workability with high fluidity. In addition, when manufacturing structural components using the developed ASFC, it is expected that the amount of fiber could be selected and used according to the required performance.

Tomb murals are an important component of cultural heritage, but the extant majority of burial murals are severely damaged. There are various causes behind the deterioration of tomb murals, among which the detrimental effects of sodium sulfate on murals are some of the most difficult to treat. In the past decades, the application of alkaline earth metal hydroxides (such as Ba(OH)2, Ca(OH)2, and Ma(OH)2) for the conservation and consolidation of murals has become more common. However, there are some problems, such as large particles, poor permeability, and potential for surface whitening. In response to this issue, we investigated a facile method for the synthesis of nano barium hydroxide (N-Ba(OH)2), from which we developed a barium hydroxide nanoparticle–phosphoric acid (N-Ba(OH)2/H3PO4) multisite in situ consolidation system. The results show that N-Ba(OH)2/H3PO4 consolidation material has good permeability and mechanical properties compared with commercial Ba(OH)2 and other common consolidation materials. This material performs very well in both salt resistance and desalination tests, the color difference change is minimal, and the technique is suitable for the practical manipulation of outdoor artifact conservation work. Recently, it has even been used in the desalination and consolidation of tomb murals in Jiangxi, China, the results of which opened a new way of thinking about the long-term conservation of tomb murals.

The ancient flotation tailings from Lefke, Cyprus, have a potential for non-ferrous metals such as cobalt and copper from more than 9.5 million tons of reserves containing 0.38% Cu, 0.032% Co, and 22.6% Fe. Recovery of cobalt and copper from these tailings can provide great benefits from economic and environmental perspectives. While the ancient tailings were kept long time in storage in dumps, the characteristics of the material has become different from the common Co and Cu bearing ores. In order to extract these valuable metals, a process involving combination of roasting and leaching was applied in this study. Since this process responded to recovery to some extent, an innovative technique of using Na2SO4 as a promoter during roasting was proposed. Utilizing of Na2SO4 did not provide only higher metal extractions, but also resulted in high selectivity. In the scope of the study, following the determination of the mineralogy and chemical composition of the tailings, certain processes such as direct leaching and sulfation roasting with/without additives before leaching were applied. Since low metal extractions were obtained from direct leaching, a selective sulfation process was applied on the tailings before leaching in order to produce a pregnant solution containing higher amounts of Co and Cu metals by reducing the iron concentration. When sulfation roasting was performed without any additive, the desired selectivity could not be provided, since the sample was considerably oxidized under the atmospheric conditions in the past. Therefore, the usage of Na2SO4 as an additive with the amount of 25% at a roasting temperature of 700єC was tested. Consequently, Na2SO4 improved the sulfation and resulted in higher cobalt (90.1%) and copper (71.2%) recovery during leaching. Beside this, an improvement with a selective sulfation was obtained by combined effect of Na2SO4 addition and temperature, and the iron extraction decreased from 26.1% to 3.9%.

Abstract A laboratory experiment on salt weathering was carried out under changing humidity conditions. Three types of rock (tuff and dense and porous sandstone) with sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, or magnesium sulfate were subjected to humidity oscillations from 20%RH to 98%RH during 6 h periods at 20 °C. Prior to the weathering experiment, the rock specimens were oven-dried, and the water supply was restricted to only that from the air during the experiment. Salt on the rock specimens was deliquesced/hydrated at almost 100%RH during the high-humidity period and crystallized/dehydrated during the low-humidity period. Sodium chloride, which has high deliquescence ability, caused the most intensive weathering. Porous sandstone with sodium chloride was completely broken down after 100 cycles of humidity changes. The other two types of rock with sodium chloride showed flaking or swelling on their surfaces. For dense sandstone with sodium chloride, the Equotip rebound value decreased as the humidity cycles increased. Sodium chloride has a high susceptibility of deliquescence at humidities of more than 80%RH. Weathering by sodium chloride would occur extensively on the surfaces of stone heritages and geoheritages in humid coastal spray zones. Magnesium sulfate induced a weight loss in porous sandstone, flaking from the surface of tuff, and cracks on the surface of dense sandstone. Sodium sulfate had almost no effect in the humidity-change experiment, although salt efflorescence was obvious. The results for magnesium sulfate, salt deliquescence, hydration, and crystallization in the humidity-change experiment were easily repeated. Magnesium sulfate might have more influence than sodium sulfate when air humidity fluctuates in a short period.

Soybean (Glycine max) is an economically important crop which is very susceptible to salt stress. Tolerance to Na2SO4 stress was evaluated in soybean plants overexpressing or suppressing the phytoglobin GmPgb1. Salt stress depressed several gas exchange parameters, including the photosynthetic rate, caused leaf damage, and reduced the water content and dry weights. Lower expression of respiratory burst oxidase homologs (RBOHB and D), as well as enhanced antioxidant activity, resulting from GmPgb1 overexpression, limited ROS-induced damage in salt-stressed leaf tissue. The leaves also exhibited higher activities of the H2O2-quenching enzymes, catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), as well as enhanced levels of ascorbic acid. Relative to WT and GmPgb1-suppressing plants, overexpression of GmPgb1 attenuated the accumulation of foliar Na+ and exhibited a lower Na+/K+ ratio. These changes were attributed to the induction of the Na+ efflux transporter SALT OVERLY SENSITIVE 1 (SOS1) limiting Na+ intake and transport and the inward rectifying K+ channel POTASSIUM TRANSPORTER 1 (AKT1) required for the maintenance of the Na+/K+ balance.

ABSTRACT: Sulfate attack is a term used to describe a series of chemical reactions between sulfate ions and hydrated compounds of the hardened cement paste. The present study aims to evaluate the physical (linear expansion, flexural and compressive strength) and mineralogical properties (X-ray diffraction) of three different mortar compositions (Portland Cement CPV-ARI containing silica fume and rice husk ash, in both cases with 10% replacement of the cement by weight) against sodium and magnesium sulfate attack (concentration of SO42- equal to 0.7 molar). The data collected indicate that the replacing the cement by the two siliceous supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) generate similar results, both SCMs were able to mitigate the effects of the sodium sulfate attack in both physical and chemical characteristics, however, both materials increase the deterioration (i.e. compressive strength) when exposed to MgSO4 solution.

Sodium and sulfate ions are among the suggested abundant ions on Europa, a moon of Jupiter. In order to investigate the potential habitability of Europa, we study the effects of sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) on a non-halophilic bacterium by subjecting Escherichia coli (E. coli) to a wide range of Na2SO4 concentrations (0–1.0 m). We discover that, as the concentration of sodium sulfate increases, the biomass doubling time increases and the cell growth is completely inhibited at 1.0 m Na2SO4. Furthermore, we find that E. coli exhibits three distinct morphological phenotypes—(i) shortened, (ii) normal, and (iii) elongated/filamented cells at 0.6 m and 0.8 m Na2SO4. We have examined the expression of different genes involved in sodium and sulfate transport (nhaA, nhaB, cysZ, sbp), osmotically driven transport of water (aqpZ), sulfate metabolism (cysN), fatty acid production (fabA), and a global transcriptional regulator (osmZ). Our results suggest that the expression of these genes is not affected significantly at high concentrations of sodium sulfate in the exponential growth phase. Using our experimental data and the existing data in the literature, we show that the osmotic pressure difference may play a major role in determining the growth inhibition of E. coli and B. subtilis at high concentrations of salt.

Abstract Sulfate attack is a term used to describe a series of chemical reactions between sulfate ions and hydrated compounds of the hardened cement paste. Thus, the chemical composition of the binders used is important for the durability of the structure against this aggressive agent. The objective of the present research is to evaluate the influence of sodium and magnesium sulfates on physical properties (linear expansion, flexure tensile strength, and compressive strength) of mortars composed by SR cement (CP V - ARI RS), as commercially sold in Brazil. The results indicate that SR cement complies the requirements established by Brazilian standards, as to chemical composition and resistance to sodium sulfate. However, for magnesium sulfate, SR cement was harmful to mortars mainly in mechanical.

Study of the formation of comestible bio polymeric shells of microcapsules is actually for food science. Electrochemical measurements were carried out using a working unit with digital multi-tester in ohm-metric mode as main device. The stages of formation of complex-coacervate shells, its neutralization and recharging, are accompanied by visible and informative changes in the resistance values. Dynamical electrochemical measurements can be proposed as the effective tool for investigating and controlling the processes of simple and complex coacervation of polymer electrolytes, taking place in the microencapsulation process.

This article demonstrates the possibility of producing alkali-activated hybrid cements based on fly ash (FA), and construction and demolition wastes (concrete waste, COW; ceramic waste, CEW; and masonry waste, MAW) using sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) (2–6%) and sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) (5–10%) as activators. From a mixture of COW, CEW, and MAW in equal proportions (33.33%), a new precursor called CDW was generated. The precursors were mixed with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) (10–30%). Curing of the materials was performed at room temperature (25 °C). The hybrid cements activated with Na2SO4 reached compressive strengths of up to 31 MPa at 28 days of curing, and the hybrid cements activated with Na2CO3 yielded compressive strengths of up to 22 MPa. Based on their mechanical performance, the optimal mixtures were selected: FA/30OPC-4%Na2SO4, CDW/30OPC-4%Na2SO4, FA/30OPC-10%Na2CO3, and CDW/30OPC-10%Na2CO3. At prolonged ages (180 days), these mixtures reached compressive strength values similar to those reported for pastes based on 100% OPC. A notable advantage is the reduction of the heat of the reaction, which can be reduced by up to 10 times relative to that reported for the hydration of Portland cement. These results show the feasibility of manufacturing alkaline-activated hybrid cements using alternative activators with a lower environmental impact.

The present study was conducted to investigate the comparative effects of organic and inorganic forms of sulfur, methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM) and sodium sulfate (SS), on laying performance, egg quality, ileal morphology, ileal volatile fatty acids, and antioxidant and stress markers in various biological samples in aged laying hens. A total of 144, 73-week-old Lohman Brown-Lite laying hens were randomly assigned to one of three experimental diets: basal diet (CONT), CONT + 0.2% MSM (MSM), and CONT + 0.3% SS (SS). The trial lasted for 12 weeks. MSM and SS diets contained 0.07% of sulfur, either organic or inorganic. Dietary MSM did not affect egg production or feed conversion ratio at 12 weeks compared with the CONT group. Dietary sulfur did not affect egg quality except for the Haugh unit at 4 weeks, which was lowered (p < 0.05) in the SS group. Compared with the CONT group, a higher (p < 0.05) villus height to crypt depth ratio was observed in the SS group. Dietary sulfur did not affect the percentages of short-chain fatty acids in the ileum. Total antioxidant capacity of the liver increased (p < 0.05) in laying hens fed MSM- and SS-added diets compared with the CONT group. The MSM and SS groups were found to have lowered (p < 0.05) malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in serum samples compared with CONT. Finally, dietary MSM had the lowest (p < 0.05) MDA concentrations in yolk samples. Taken together, our study showed that dietary organic and inorganic sulfur have positive effects on ileal morphology and antioxidant capacity in laying hens. However, SS-mediated inhibition in laying performance needs to be clarified.

Subject of the article was to study the method aimed at denitration of liquid wastes that appear during the nitrosation of organic compounds. Liquid waste represents an aqueous solution of sodium sulfate with sodium nitrate and nitrite as admixtures. The method involves addition of sulfuric acid to the wastes followed by drying and thermal treatment of a salt mixture at temperature above 150 °C. Experimental study revealed that sodium nitrite fully decomposes in the solution during the drying resulting in formation of sodium sulfate, nitrogen oxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Solid-phase interaction of sodium hydrogen sulfate and sodium nitrate was investigated by combined DSC-TG technique in the temperature range 100 - 270 °C. The mixture of salts was obtained by drying the aqueous solution. It was shown that the reaction rate is defined by the removal rate of vapors formed nitric acid.

Salt crystallization is accepted to represent one of the major causes for the degradation of building and ornamental stone. As such, it has attracted the attention of researchers, who over the years have progressively unraveled most mechanisms involved in salt damage. Despite this, many questions subsist about how to quantitatively predict damage or its progression, and in particular how to relate performance on site to that in laboratory tests. In this context, a new RILEM TC has been started with the objective of defining laboratory tests that deliver more reliable predictions of field behavior. One deliverable of this TC, is to provide a theoretical insight into this question based on recent progress on the understanding of salt damage. This paper presents a summary of this work, highlighting key aspects relating to crystallization pressure, chemo-mechanics and transport. Implications are more specifically discussed in relation to existing accelerated tests in an attempt to better define the type of field exposure that they may best represent. A simple conceptual model for the development of salt damage is introduced. During an initial “induction” phase, transport of ions and accumulation of salt in the porous materials occurs without causing detectable damage until a critical point, termed “damage onset” is reached. Beyond this point, during the “propagation phase”, the material degrades increasingly. The implications of these two phases are discussed in relation to the selection of appropriate salt weathering tests and conservation interventions.

Tin was recovered in metal from an industrial tin-bearing byproduct containing Na2SO4 by carbothermic reduction smelting, and the effects of basicity (Na2O/SiO2), temperature, and reaction time on the recovery of tin were studied. Na2SO4 was reduced by carbon and formed into sodium silicate slag (Na2O–SiO2) in the presence of SiO2. Tin content in slag decreased with the increase of Na2O/SiO2 ratio in slag, temperature, and reaction time, but the recovery of tin was affected by volatilization of tin in high temperature and high silica region of basicity. In this study, the maximum recovery rate of tin was 94.8% at the experimental condition of 1200 °C, 2 h, and 0.55 of Na2O/SiO2 ratio. The major impurities in produced metal were Bi, Pb, Cu, Fe, and most of Bi, Pb, Cu were distributed to the metal phase, but the distribution of Fe was closely related to basicity.

Demand for nickel and cobalt sulfate is expected to increase due to the rapidly growing Li-battery industry needed for the electrification of automobiles. This has led to an increase in the production of sodium sulfate as a waste effluent that needs to be processed to meet discharge guidelines. Using bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPED), acids and bases can be effectively produced from corresponding salts found in these waste effluents. However, the efficiency and environmental sustainability of the overall BPED process depends upon several factors, including the properties of the ion exchange membranes employed, effluent type, and temperature which affects the viscosity and conductivity of feed effluent, and the overpotentials. This work focuses on the recycling of Na2SO4 rich waste effluent, through a feed and bleed BPED process. A high ion-exchange capacity and ionic conductivity with excellent stability up to 41 °C is observed during the proposed BPED process, with this temperature increase also leading to improved current efficiency. Five and ten repeating units were tested to determine the effect on BPED stack performance, as well as the effect of temperature and current density on the stack voltage and current efficiency. Furthermore, the concentration and maximum purity (>96.5%) of the products were determined. Using the experimental data, both the capital expense (CAPEX) and operating expense (OPEX) for a theoretical plant capacity of 100 m3 h−1 of Na2SO4 at 110 g L−1 was calculated, yielding CAPEX values of 20 M EUR, and OPEX at 14.2 M EUR/year with a payback time of 11 years, however, the payback time is sensitive to chemical and electricity prices.

Alkali-activated slag is considered as a sustainable construction material due to its environmentally friendly nature. To further promote the sustainable nature of alkali-activated slag, a sodium sulfate activator is suggested to be used since it can be obtained naturally and generates lower greenhouse gas emissions. However, the mixtures activated by sodium sulfate exhibit low early strength and very long setting times. This study investigates the effects of calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) addition on some engineering properties such as rheology, setting time, mechanical properties, porosity, and microstructure of sodium sulfate activated ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS). Furthermore, the changes of chemical groups in reaction products and phase identification have been evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction. Test results showed that Ca(OH)2 addition can substantially increase the reaction rate and the compressive strength at early ages. In addition, the very long setting times of the sodium sulfate-activated mixtures were shortened by the addition of Ca(OH)2. SEM analysis confirmed that the incorporation of excessive amounts of Ca(OH)2 could lead to a less well-packed microstructure although the reaction degree of GGBFS remained the same at later ages as compared to the sodium sulfate mixture. It was also revealed that in case of the Ca(OH)2 addition into sodium sulfate activator, the main reaction products are chain-structured C-A-S-H gels and ettringite.

Recently, the oxidative behavior of methotrexate (MTX) anticancer drug is highly demanded, due to its side effects on healthy cells, despite being a very challenging task. In this study, we have prepared porous NiO material using sodium sulfate as an electronic disorder reagent by hydrothermal method and found it highly sensitive and selective for the oxidation of MTX. The synthesized NiO nanostructures were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. These physical characterizations delineated the porous morphology and cubic crystalline phase of NiO. Different electrochemical approaches have been utilized to determine the MTX concentrations in 0.04 M Britton–Robinson buffer (BRB) at pH 2 using glassy carbon electrode (GCE)-modified with electronically disordered NiO nanostructures. The linear range for MTX using cyclic voltammetry (CV) was found to be from 5 to 30 nM, and the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 1.46 nM and 4.86 nM, respectively, whereas the linear range obtained via linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) was estimated as 15–90 nM with LOD and LOQ of 0.819 nM and 2.713 nM, respectively. Additionally, amperometric studies revealed a linear range from 10 to70 nM with LOD and LOQ of 0.1 nM and 1.3 nM, respectively. Importantly, MTX was successfully monitored in pharmaceutical products using the standard recovery method. Thus, the proposed approach for the synthesis of active metal oxide materials could be sued for the determination of other anticancer drugs in real samples and other biomedical applications.

Red mud is a hazardous waste of the alumina industry that contains high amounts of iron, aluminum, titanium and rare-earth elements (REEs). One of the promising methods for the extraction of iron from red mud is carbothermic reduction with the addition of sodium salts. This research focuses on the process of hydrochloric high-pressure acid leaching using 10 to 20% HCl of two samples of non-magnetic tailings obtained by 60 min carbothermic roasting of red mud at 1300 °C and the mixture of 84.6 wt.% of red mud and 15.4 wt.% Na2SO4 at 1150 °C, respectively, with subsequent magnetic separation of metallic iron. The influence of temperature, leaching duration, solid-to-liquid-ratio and acid concentration on the dissolution behavior of Al, Ti, Mg, Ca, Si, Fe, Na, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sc, Zr was studied. Based on the investigation of the obtained residues, a mechanism for passing valuable elements into the solution was proposed. It has shown that 90% Al, 91% Sc and above 80% of other REEs can be dissolved under optimal conditions; Ti can be extracted into the solution or the residue depending on the leaching temperature and acid concentration. Based on the research results, novel flowsheets for red mud treatment were developed.

The grouting technique is an important method in underground engineering that prevents water seepage and reinforces fractured rock mass. In this research, ultrafine cement-based grouting material, including ultrafine cement (UC), ultrafine fly ash (UFA), polycarboxylate superplasticizer (SP), colloidal nanosilica (CNS), sodium sulfate solution (SS) and water, was developed. The flow time, viscosity, bleeding, setting time and uniaxial compressive strength of the UC-based slurry were measured by orthogonal experiments, and the optimal mix proportion of the UC-based slurry was obtained based on the Taguchi-Grey relational analysis method. Microstructure analysis of the UC-based slurry was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) tests. The results showed that the Bingham model could provide a satisfactory description of the rheological properties of the UC-based slurry. The addition of CNS and SS could promote the hydration of the UC-based slurry and improve the microstructure of the hardened slurry, thereby increasing the strength of the hardened slurry. The optimum ratio for the UC-based slurry was water/solid (W/S) ratio of 1.0, and the contents of UFA, SP, CNS and SS by mass of UC were 40%, 0.2%, 4% and 4%, respectively.

Red mud is an iron-containing waste of alumina production with high alkalinity. A promising approach for its recycling is solid-phase carbothermic roasting in the presence of special additives followed by magnetic separation. The crucial factor of the separation of the obtained iron metallic particles from gangue is sufficiently large iron grains. This study focuses on the influence of Na2SO4 addition on iron grain growth during carbothermic roasting of two red mud samples with different (CaO + MgO)/(SiO2 + Al2O3) ratio of 0.46 and 1.21, respectively. Iron phase distribution in the red mud and roasted samples were investigated in detail by Mössbauer spectroscopy method. Based on thermodynamic calculations and results of multifactorial experiments, the optimal conditions for the roasting of the red mud samples with (CaO + MgO)/(SiO2 + Al2O3) ratio of 0.46 and 1.21 were duration of 180 min with the addition of 13.65% Na2SO4 at 1150 °C and 1350 °C followed by magnetic separation that led to 97% and 83.91% of iron recovery, as well as 51.6% and 83.7% of iron grade, respectively. The mechanism of sodium sulfate effect on iron grain growth was proposed. The results pointed out that Na2SO4 addition is unfavorable for the red mud carbothermic roasting compared with other alkaline sulfur-free additives.

Background: High-quality bowel preparation is crucial for achieving the goals of colonoscopy. However, choosing a bowel preparation in clinical practice can be challenging because of the many formulations. This study aims to assess the impact the type of bowel preparation on the quality of colonoscopy in a community hospital setting. Methods: A retrospective, observational study was conducted utilizing a colonoscopy screening/surveillance database in central Illinois during the period of January 1, 2010, to March 31, 2014. Patients without bowel preparation assessment were excluded from this study. Controlling for the confounders, generalized linear models were used to estimate the adjusted impact [odds ratio (OR)] of bowel preparation type on the quality of preparation (excellent, good, fair, and poor), and on the detection of advanced adenoma. The association between the time of withdrawal after insertion and the quality of preparation was also examined using a linear model. Results: A total of 28,368 colonoscopies; half the patients were male, and the average age was 61±9 years. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used in the majority (70.2%) of bowel preparations, followed by sodium sulfate (21.4%), sodium phosphate (2.5%), magnesium sulfate (0.4%), and others. Compared with PEG, magnesium sulfate had a poorer quality of bowel preparations (OR=0.6, 95% CI 0.4–0.9; p

On the basis of field and experimental lithological and hydrochemical investigations carried out in the Volga-Ural sedimentary basin, a number of important provisions related to the mechanism and kinetics of cation exchange in a heterogeneous system of water-rock have been done. It has been established that they are zonal and differentiated by the depth of the basin. The most significant ion-exchange interaction is in the top of the supergene zone (up to 300 m) with Upper Permian argillaceous sediments with high adsorption properties. Here a radical metamorphic composition of underground fluids and formation of fresh sodium bicarbonate and sodium sulfate salty waters are marked. In areas of catagenesis and metagenesis at the depths greater than 1000-1500 m as a result of the restructuring of the clay minerals in the series of montmorillonite-hydromica-chlorite, the absorption capacity of the adsorption complex of clastic formations of Paleozoic and Late Proterozoic is sharply reduced. Exchange adsorption loses its geochemical significance and plays no significant role in the formation of calcium chloride brines. Their origin is associated with the processes of epigenetic dolomitization of limestone under the influence of density convection of the sodium chloride and magnesium brines from the Permian evaporate paleobasins.

Oil recovery using modified/smart water technology can be maximized by optimizing the composition of the injected water. Brine optimization is also believed to improve polymer flooding performance. This chapter assesses and defines the potential impact of combining low-salt-modified water with polymer flooding, based on the presence of sulfate in the injection water. Hence, we evaluated the influence of sodium sulfate on (1) polymer viscoelasticity, under the assumption that the phenomena exists, and (2) oil recovery and pressure response. Mainly, a comprehensive rheological evaluation and two-phase core flood experiments are the focus of this work. Composition of injection brine is optimized after having synthetic seawater as a base brine. Core-flood experiments were performed in a secondary, tertiary and a sort of post-tertiary (quaternary) mode to evaluate the feasibility of applying both processes (modified water and polymer flood). Obtained data was subsequently cross-analyzed and as an overall observation, sodium sulfate helped with improving polymer viscosity compared to sodium chloride or divalent cation presence. Moreover, optimized modified water, with the higher amount of sulfate ions, showed an additional oil recovery in both secondary and tertiary mode of about 5.0%. Additionally, polymer injection in tertiary mode, after modified-water injection, showed significant additional oil recovery.

Gellable composite materials (GCM) were prepared from a smelting slag of copper and nickel deposits and cement, and activated using gypsum and chemical activators. The effects of material ratio, dosage of chemical activators, and gypsum on the mechanical properties of GCM were studied. Our results showed that the chemical activators of Na2SO4, Na2SiO3, NaOH, and Na2CO3 could improve the compressive strength of the GCM. Considering the market cost and ease operation, the compressive strength of the GCM could be significantly improved with 2% Na2SO4. The experiment results also showed that the compound chemical activator could improve the compressive strength of gelled material. The strength of GCM reaches 41.6 MPa when 2% gypsum and 80% of smelting slags of copper and nickel deposits were used, which met the national standards requirements of GCM. As such, it is expected that a large amount of copper and nickel mining smelting slag could be utilized for the production of cementitious materials.

This article investigates the sulphate resistance of cement mortars when subjected to different exposure conditions. Cement mortars were prepared using ground waste brick (GWB) as a pozzolanic partial replacement for cement at replacement levels of 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5, 10%, 12.5 and 15%. Mortar specimens were stored under three different conditions: continuous curing in lime-saturated tab water (TW), continuous exposure to 5% sodium sulphate solution (SS), and continuous exposure to 5% ammonium nitrate solution (AN), at a temperature of 20 ± 3 ºC, for 7, 28, 90, and 180 days. Prisms with dimensions of 25×25×285 mm, to determine the expansions of the mortar samples; and another set of prisms with dimensions of 40×40×160 mm, were prepared to calculate the compressive strength of the samples. It was determined that the GWB replacement ratios between 2.5% and 10% decreased the 180 days expansion values. The highest compressive strength values were found for the samples with 10% replacement ratio in the TW, SS, and AN conditions for 180 days. The microstructure of the mortars were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX).