In this study, the effect of waste glass on the mechanical properties of concrete was examined by conducting a series of compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and flexural strength tests. According to this aim, waste glass powder (WGP) was first used as a partial replacement for cement and six different ratios of WGP were utilized in concrete production: 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%. To examine the combined effect of different ratios of WGP on concrete performance, mixed samples (10%, 20%, 30%) were then prepared by replacing cement, and fine and coarse aggregates with both WGP and crashed glass particles. Workability and slump values of concrete produced with different amounts of waste glass were determined on the fresh state of concrete, and these properties were compared with those of plain concrete. For the hardened concrete, 150 mm × 150 mm × 150 mm cubic specimens and cylindrical specimens with a diameter of 100 mm and a height of 200 mm were tested to identify the compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of the concrete produced with waste glass. Next, a three-point bending test was carried out on samples with dimensions of 100 × 100 × 400 mm, and a span length of 300 mm to obtain the flexure behavior of different mixtures. According to the results obtained, a 20% substitution of WGP as cement can be considered the optimum dose. On the other hand, for concrete produced with combined WGP and crashed glass particles, mechanical properties increased up to a certain limit and then decreased owing to poor workability. Thus, 10% can be considered the optimum replacement level, as combined waste glass shows considerably higher strength and better workability properties. Furthermore, scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis was performed to investigate the microstructure of the composition. Good adhesion was observed between the waste glass and cementitious concrete. Lastly, practical empirical equations have been developed to determine the compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and flexure strength of concrete with different amounts of waste glass. Instead of conducting an experiment, these strength values of the concrete produced with glass powder can be easily estimated at the design stage with the help of proposed expressions.

This study aims to evaluate the corrosion resistance of carbon steel, used for carabiners manufacturing, coated with three different types of phosphate layer. The phosphate layers have been obtained by phosphate conversion coating with three different types of phosphate solutions: zinc-based solution, zinc-iron-based phosphate solution, and manganese-based phosphate solution. Additionally, the test was performed on zinc phosphate samples impregnated with molybdenum bisulfate-based oil and zinc phosphate samples further coated with a layer of elastomer-based paint. Considering the areas where the carabiners are used (civil engineering, navigation, oil industry, rescue operations, etc.), the corrosive environments studied are rainwater, Black Sea water, and fire extinguishing solution. The structure of the deposited layers was studied by scanning electron microscopy, while the interface structure between the alloy and corrosive environment was analyzed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. According to this study, the corrosion resistance of zinc-based phosphate coated samples and zinc/iron-based phosphate coated samples is higher than that of the studied carbon steel samples, despite the corrosion environment. Also, the most aggressive corrosion environment was the fire extinguishing solution.

This study approaches the issues which appear during carabiner use and analyses the possibility to eliminate them. Therefore, to improve the corrosion resistance of carbon steel, used in carabiners manufacturing, three different insoluble phosphate layers were deposited on the samples’ surface. The layers were obtained by immersion in zinc-based phosphate solution, zinc/iron-based phosphate solution and manganese-based phosphate solution, Afterwards, to protect against mechanical shocks, a layer of elastomer-based paint was deposited. Furthermore, to reduce rope wear by decreasing the value of the coefficient of friction, the samples were impregnated in molybdenum disulfide-based lubricant. This study aims to analyse the corrosion behaviour of the layers deposited on the carbon steel surface in three of the most common corrosive environments (rainwater, seawater and fire extinguishing solution) by linear and cyclic polarisation. The overall results show that all types of deposited layers increase the corrosion resistance of C45 steel. The experimental results revealed that the samples coated with a phosphate layer obtained by immersion in the zinc-based phosphate solution possess the highest corrosion resistance among the phosphate samples.

The carbon steel is used in many areas due to its good mechanical properties; however, its low corrosion resistance presents a very important problem, for example, when carbon steel carabiners are used in the petroleum industry or navy, the possibility of an accident is higher due to carabiner failure. This phenomenon could occur as a consequence of the corrosion process which negatively affects mechanical properties. This paper study the possibility to improve its corrosion resistance by depositing on its surface a phosphate layer and a paint layer, and also aims to analyze the immersion behavior in saltwater of carbon steel, phosphate carbon steel, and phosphate and painted carbon steel. According to this study, by coating the carbon steel with a phosphate or paint layer, a higher polarization resistance is obtained in saltwater. Moreover, by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), it was observed that the corrosion rate decreases with the increase of the immersion time. Meanwhile scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) revealed that the main compounds which formed on the sample’s surface were iron oxides or hydroxy-oxides, after immersion for a longer period. The overall results show that all types of deposited layers increase the corrosion resistance of C45 steel.

In a continuously changing world where the human operator still plays an important role in most industrial activities, health and safety occupies a fundamental place, with the goal of maintaining workers healthy and in safe condition during their job activities. One of the means that make this goal achievable is the use of adequate personal protective equipment. The carabiners are connecting parts that link the components quickly and reversibly of personal protective equipment used against falls. Thus shackles can be divided in multiple elements, such as: the gate, which always opens inward and can be provided with or without the locking system, the second and the biggest element is the body which can have different form according to the BS EN 12275:2013 standard, the gate and the body are connected thru the rivet pin and nose. The personal fall arrest system used in areas such as construction, speleology, petroleum industry, includes metal components that must possess high mechanical properties, especially shock-resistance. In order to improve resilience, a layer of rubber paint will be deposited on the carabiner surface. The aim of this study is to analyse the influence of rubber coating on the carabiners shock resistance.