Relationship between load/unload response ratio and damage variable and its application

The physics-based parameter: load/unload response ratio (LURR) was proposed to measure the proximity of a strong earthquake, which achieved good results in earthquake prediction. As LURR can be used to describe the damage degree of the focal media qualitatively, there must be a relationship between LURR and damage variable (D) which describes damaged materials quantitatively in damage mechanics. Hence, based on damage mechanics and LURR theory, taking Weibull distribution as the probability distribution function, the relationship between LURR and D is set up and analyzed. This relationship directs LURR applied in damage analysis of materials quantitatively from being qualitative earlier, which not only provides the LURR method with a more solid basis in physics, but may also give a new approach to the damage evaluation of big scale structures and prediction of engineering catastrophic failure. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Damage accumulation in gallium nitride irradiated with various energetic heavy ions

In this work a study of damage production in gallium nitride via elastic collision process (nuclear energy deposition) and inelastic collision process (electronic energy deposition) using various heavy ions is presented. Ordinary low-energy heavy ions (Fe+ and Mo+ ions of 110 keV), swift heavy ions (Pb-208(27+) ions of 1.1 MeV/u) and slow highly-charged heavy ions (Xen+ ions of 180 keV) were employed in the irradiation. Damage accumulation in the GaN crystal films as a function of ion fluence and temperature was studied with RBS-channeling technique, Raman scattering technique, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). For ordinary low-energy heavy ion irradiation, the temperature dependence of damage production is moderate up to about 413 K resulting in amorphization of the damaged layer. Enhanced dynamic annealing of defects dominates at higher temperatures. Correlation of amorphization with material decomposition and nitrogen bubble formation was found. In the irradiation of swift heavy ions, rapid damage accumulation and efficient erosion of the irradiated layer occur at a rather low value of electronic energy deposition (about 1.3 keV/nm(3)),. which also varies with irradiation temperature. In the irradiation of slow highly-charged heavy ions (SHCI), enhanced amorphization and surface erosion due to potential energy deposition of SHCI was found. It is indicated that damage production in GaN is remarkably more sensitive to electronic energy loss via excitation and ionization than to nuclear energy loss via elastic collisions.

Structural evolution of tensile deformed high-density polyethylene at elevated temperatures: Scanning synchrotron small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering studies

The structural evolution of an ice-quenched high-density polyethylene (HDPE) subjected to uniaxial tensile deformation at elevated temperatures was examined as a function of the imposed strains by means of combined synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) techniques. The data show that when stretching an isotropic sample with the spherulitic structure, intralamellar slipping of crystalline blocks was activated at small deformations, followed by a stress-induced fragmentation and recrystallization process yielding lamellar crystallites with their normal parallel to the stretching direction. Stretching of an isothermally crystallized HDPE sample at 120 degrees C exhibited changes of the SAXS diagram with strain similar to that observed for quenched HDPE elongated at room temperature, implying that the thermal stability of the crystal blocks composing the lamellae is only dependent on the crystallization temperature.

Evolution of phase morphology of high impact polypropylene particles upon thermal treatment

Solvent fractionation and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results show that high impact polypropylene (hiPP) produced by a multistage polymerization process consists of PP homopolymer, amorphous ethylene-propylene random copolymer (EPR), and semicrystalline ethylene-propylene copolymer. For the original hiPP particles obtained right after polymerization, direct transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation reveals a fairly homogeneous morphology of the ethylene-propylene copolymer (EP) phase regions inside, while the polyethylene-rich interfacial layer observed between the EP region and the iPP matrix supports that EP copolymers form on the subglobule surface of the original iPP particles. Compared with that in original hiPP particles, the dispersed EP domains in pellets have much smaller average size and relatively uniform size distribution, indicating homogenization of the EP domains in the hiPP by melt-compounding. Upon heat-treatment, phase reorganization occurs in hiPP, and the dispersed EP domains can form a multiple-layered core-shell structure, comprising a polyethylene-rich core, an EPR intermediate layer and an outer shell formed by EP block copolymer, which accounts to some extent for the good toughness-rigidity balance of the material.

Conversion process of the dominant electroluminescence mechanism in a molecularly doped organic light-emitting device with only electron trapping

In this work, the detailed conversion process of the dominant electroluminescence (EL) mechanism in a device with Eu(TTA)(3)phen (TTA=thenoyltrifluoroacetone, phen=1,10-phenanthroline) doped CBP (4,4(')-N,N-'-dicarbazole-biphenyl) film as the emitting layer was investigated by analyzing the evolution of carrier distribution on dye and host molecules with increasing voltage. Firstly, it was confirmed that only electrons can be trapped in Eu(TTA)(3)phen doped CBP. As a result, holes and electrons would be situated on CBP and Eu(TTA)(3)phen molecules, respectively, and thus creates an unbalanced carrier distribution on both dye and host molecules. With the help of EL and photoluminescence spectra, the distribution of holes and electrons on both Eu(TTA)(3)phen and CBP molecules was demonstrated to change gradually with increasing voltage. Therefore, the dominant EL mechanism in this device changes gradually from carrier trapping at relatively low voltage to Forster energy transfer at relatively high voltage.

Structural evolution of tensile-deformed high-density polyethylene during annealing: Scanning synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering study

The structural evolution of high-density polyethylene subjected to uniaxial tensile deformation was investigated as a function of strain and after annealing at different temperatures using a scanning synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique. The results confirm that in the course of tensile deformation intralamellar block slips were activated at small deformations followed by a stress-induced fragmentation and recrystallization process yielding thinner lamellae with their normal parallel to the stretching direction. The original sheared lamellae underwent severe internal deformation so that they were even less stable than the newly developed thinner lamellae. Accordingly, annealing results in a melting of the original crystallites even at moderate strains where the stress-induced fragmentation and recrystallization just sets in and generates a distinctly different form of lamellar stacks aligned along the drawing direction. It was found that the lamellae newly formed during stretching at moderate strains remain stable at lower temperature. Only at a very high annealing temperature of 120 degrees C can they be melted, leading to an isotropic distribution of the lamellar structure.

IrO2/SnO2 electrodes: prepared by sol-gel process and their electrocatalytic for pyrocatechol

IrO2/SnO2 (10%:90%, molar ratio) electrodes (ITEs) were prepared by the sol-gel method as an alternative to the electrode-position and thermal decomposition process. The electrodes were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscope (AFM), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS). From the results of XRD, oxide films prepared at low temperature were in amorphous state, while hydrous IrO2 crystal and cassiterite phase SnO2 were formed at 300 degreesC or even to 500 degreesC. The highly porous structure was confirmed by AFM. The electrochemical experiments demonstrated that the sol-gel method made the ITEs having a fast electron transfer process with good stability and the optimal preparation temperature was 400 degreesC for the highest electroactivity. Furthermore, the electrocatalysis of pyrocatechol on the electrodes was investigated. A quasi-reversible process occurred and a linear range over three orders magnitude (1 x 10(-2) - 10 mM) was obtained by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Meanwhile the detection limit of pyrocatechol was 5 x 10(-3) mM. This study indicated that the sol-gel method was an appropriate route to prepare the IrO2/SnO2 electrodes for the electrocatalytic of pyrocatechol.

Surface morphology evolution of thin triblock copolymer films during spin coating

The surface morphology evolution of thin poly(styrene-block-ethylene/butylenes-block-styrene) (SEBS) triblock copolymer films as a function of the copolymer concentration was investigated by means of dynamic mode atomic force microscopy. At a relatively low copolymer concentration (0.025% w/v), the periodically orientated stripes were observed. This kind of surface patterning produced in the spin-coating process has not been reported in the literature before. It has been shown by our experiment that a shearing and stretching field can cause flexible polymer coils or aggregates to orientate during the spin coatings At a copolymer concentration of 0.05% w/v, SEBS molecule aggregates form network structures in the whole film. With further increase of the copolymer concentration, a continuous film with a microphase-separated structure was visualized.

Impacts of anthropogenic activity on the recent evolution of the Huanghe (Yellow) River delta

Hydrological statistical data, remote sensing images, and bathymetric charts were used to study the recent evolution of the Huanghe (Yellow) River delta under human-induced interventions. It was clear that water and sediment discharge from the Huanghe River had dropped rapidly since 1970, particularly after 1986. The water and sediment discharges for the period of 1986-2000 were found to have been reduced to only 29.2% and 31.2% of those in the period of 1950-69. This was caused by human factors in the upper and middle reaches of the Huanghe River, including water diversion, damming and reservoir construction, and water and soil conservation. Based on the results from visual interpretation of processed Landsat (MSS or TMJETM+) images dated from 1976 to 2001 and two digital elevation models generated from bathymetric charts surveyed in 1976 and 1992, we found that human-induced reduction of water and sediment discharge led to coastline retrogradation, with the maximum mean recession rate of -0.51 km yr-1 over the period of 1976-98, and seabed erosion beyond the -20 m isobath between 1976 and 1992. Other impacts of human activities on the recent evolution of the Huanghe River delta, including tidal flats shrinking, artificial coastline increasing, land surface sinking and so on, were also analyzed. We found that: (i) the whole delta, including subaerial and subaqueous, has turned from a highly constructive period to a destructive phase; (ii) channelization and dredging were two of the main causes of delta destruction; (iii) land loss in the Huanghe River delta caused by submersion will be increased in the near future; (iv) the Huanghe River delta was becoming more fragile and susceptible to natural hazards.

Generation and evolution of magma beneath the East Pacific Rise: Constraints from U-series disequilibrium and plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions

Mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) samples from the East Pacific Rise (EPR 12 degrees 50'N) were analyzed for U-series isotopes and compositions of plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions. The Ra-226 and Th-230 excesses are negatively correlated; the Ra-226 excess is positively correlated with Mg# and Sm/Nd, and is negatively correlated with La/Sm and Fe-8; the Th-230 excess is positively correlated with Fe-8 and La/Sm and is negatively correlated with Mg# and Sm/Nd. Interpretation of these correlations is critical for understanding the magmatic process. There are two models (the dynamic model and the "two-porosity" model) for interpreting these correlations, however, some crucial parameters used in these models are not ascertained. We propose instead a model to explain the U-series isotopic compositions based on the control of melt density variation. For melting either peridotite or the "marble-cake" mantle, the FeOt content, Th-230 excess and La/Sm ratio increases and Sm/Nd decreases with increasing pressure. A deep melt will evolve to a higher density and lower Mg# than a shallow melt, the former corresponds to a long residence time, which lowers the Ra-226 excess significantly. This model is supported by the existence of low Ra-226 excesses and high Th-230 excesses in MORBs having a high Fe-8 content and high density. The positive correlation of Ra-226 excess and magma liquidus temperature implies that the shallow melt is cooled less than the deep melt due to its low density and short residence time. The correlations among Fe-8, Ti-8 and Ca-8/Al-8 in plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions further prove that MORBs are formed from melts having a negative correlation in melting depths and degrees. The negative correlation of Ra-226 excess vs. chemical diversity index (standard deviation of Fe-8, Ti-8 and Ca-8/Al-8) of the melt inclusions is in accordance with the influence of a density-controlled magma residence time. We conclude that the magma density variation exerts significant control on residence time and U-series isotopic compositions. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Numerical simulation on the process of saltwater intrusion and its impact on the suspended sediment concentration in the Changjiang (Yangtze) estuary

To study the relationship between sediment transportation and saltwater intrusion in the Changjiang (Yangtze) estuary, a three-dimensional numerical model for temperature, salinity, velocity field, and suspended sediment concentration was established based on the ECOMSED model. Using this model, sediment transportation in the flood season of 2005 was simulated for the Changjiang estuary. A comparison between simulated results and observation data for the tidal level, flow velocity and direction, salinity and suspended sediment concentration indicated that they were consistent in overall. Based on model verification, the simulation of saltwater intrusion and its effect on sediment in the Changjiang estuary was analyzed in detail. The saltwater intrusion in the estuary including the formation, evolution, and disappearance of saltwater wedge and the induced vertical circulation were reproduced, and the crucial impact of the wedge on cohesive and non-cohesive suspended sediment distribution and transportation were successfully simulated. The result shows that near the salinity front, the simulated concentrations of both cohesive and non-cohesive suspended sediment at the surface layer had a strong relationship with the simulated velocity, especially when considering a 1-hour lag. However, in the bottom layer, there was no obvious correlation between them, because the saltwater wedge and its inducing vertical circulation may have resuspended loose sediment on the bed, thus forming a high-concentration area near the bottom even if the velocity near the bottom was very low during the transition phase from flood to ebb.

Hydrogen entry into steel during atmospheric corrosion process

Hydrogen entry and permeation into iron were measured by an electrochemical method during atmospheric corrosion reaction. The hydrogen permeation was enhanced on passive films because the hydrogen adsorption increased by the hydrogen evolution mechanism which is different from that on a bear iron surface. The permeation rate during a wet and dry corrosion cycle showed a maximum in the drying process depending upon the surface pH and the corrosion potential. The pollutant such as Na2SO3 which decreases the pH and the corrosion potential causes an increase in the permeation rate. The mechanism of the change in the permeation rate during the wet and dry cycles is explained by the polarization diagram of the electrode covered by thin water layer. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

三峡库区巴东组泥灰岩溶蚀作用与岩体力学性质弱化研究

Abstract The karsrt erosion engineering geology became a highlight problem in recent years, in particularly, the karst erosion of marlite of Badong formation made the rock mechanics weaken in Three Gorges Reservoir area, which reduces the safety of slope. During the immigrant construction, many high slopes have been formed, whose instabilities problems pose serious threats to the safety of the people and properties. The accidents of the slope failure take place now and then. By testing, it has been found that the karst erosion pattern and dissolution rate of marlite are not weaker than that of the pure limestone. Furthermore, owning to the weathering and unloading, the karst erosion of the marlite will reach certain depth of the slope, which is named infiltrated karst erosion. The karst erosion made the rock mass quality of slope or foundation worse in a large scale. The karst erosion geological disasters, taken place or not, has become the main restrictive factors to the social stability and economic development. Thus the karst erosion process and mechanism of marlite of Badong formation are studied as the main content of this dissertation. The weakening characteristic of rock mass mechanics parameters are studied along with the rock mass structure deformation and failure processes in the course of the karst erosion. At first, the conditions and influencing factors of the karst erosion are analyzed in the investigative region, on the basis of different karst erosion phenomenon of the marlite and different failure modes of slope. Then via indoor the karst erosion tests, it is analyzed that the karst erosion will change the rock mass composition and its structure. Through test, the different karst erosion phenomena between micro and macro have been observed, and the karst erosion mechanism of the marlite has been summarized. Damage theory is introduced to explain the feature of dissolution pore and the law of crack propagation in the marlite. By microscope and the references data, it can be concluded that the karst erosion process can be divided into rock minerals damage and rock structural damage. And the percent of karst erosion volume is named damage factor, which can be used to describe the quantify karst erosion degree of marlite. Through test, the rock mechanical properties in the different period of karst erosion are studied. Based on the damage mechanics theory and the test result, the relation between the karst erosion degree of marlite and weakening degree of mechanical properties is summarized. By numerical simulations, the karst erosive rock mass mechanics is verified. The conclusion is drawn as below: to the rock mass of marlite, the karst erosion damage made mechanics parameters variation, the deformation modulus, cohesion, and inter friction angle reduce as the negative exponent with the increasing of the karst erosion volume, however, the Poisson ratio increases as the positive exponent with the karst erosion volume increasing. It should be noticed that the deduced formulations are limited to the test data and certain conditions. It is suitable to the rock mass parametric weakening process after the karst erosion of marlite in Three Gorges Reservoir area. Based on the failure types of marlite slope in the field, the karst erosion and weathering process of rock mass are analyzed. And the evolution law of deformation and failure of the marlite mass is studied. The main failure feature of the marlite slope is the karst erosive structure subsidence mode in Three Gorges Reservoir area. The karst erosive structure subsidence mode is explained as follows: the rock mass undergoes the synthetic influence, such as weathering, unloading, corrosion, and so on, many pores and cavities have been formed in the rock mass interior, the rock mass quality is worsen and the rock mass structure is changed, and then the inherent structure of rock mass is collapsed under its gravity, therefore, the failure mode of compaction and subsidence take place. Finally, two examples are used to verify the rock mass parameters in Three Gorges Reservoir area, and the relationship between the marlite slope stability and the time of karst erosion is proposed.

济阳-昌潍坳陷火成岩油气藏体系形成机理和分布规律研究

Jiyang & Changwei depressions are two neighboring depressions in Bahai Bay Basin, the famous oil rich basin in East China. The exploration activities in the past 40 years has proved that, within the basins, there exists not only plentiful sandstone hydrocarbon reservoirs (conventional), but also abundant special reservoirs as igneous rock, mudstone and conglomerate ones which have been knowing as the unconventional in the past, and with the prospecting activity is getting more and more detailed, the unconventional reservoirs are also getting more and more important for further resources, among which, the igneous lithological reservoir be of significance as a new research and exploration area. The purpose of this paper is, with the historical researches and data as base, the System Theory, Practice Theory and Modern Comprehensive Petroleum Geology Theory as guide, the theoretical and practice break through as the goal, and the existing problems in the past as the break through direction, to explore and establish a valid reservoir formation and distribution models for igneous strata in the profile of the eastern faulted basins. After investigating the distribution of the igneous rocks and review the history of the igneous rocks reservoirs in basins, the author focused on the following issues and correspondingly the following progresses have been made: 1.Come to a new basin evolution and structure model named "Combined-Basin-bodies Model" for Jiyang even Eastern faulted basins based on the study on the origin and evolution of Jiyang & Changwei basins, depending on this model, every faulted basin in the Bo-hai Bay Basin is consisted of three Basin-Bodies including the Lower (Mesozoic), Middle (Early Tertiary) and the Upper (Late Tertiary) Bodies, each evolved in different geo-stress setting and with different basin trend, shape and igneous-sedimentary buildings system, and from this one to next one, the basin experienced a kind of process named "shape changing" and "Style changing". 2. Supposed a serious of new realizations as follows (1) There were "multi-level magma sources" including Upper mantel and the Lower, Middle and even the Upper Shell magma Chambers in the historical Magma Processes in the basins; (2) There were "multi-magma accessing or pass" from the first level (Mantel faults) to the second, third and fourth levels (that is the different levels of fault in the basin sediment strata) worked in the geo-historical and magma processes; (3) Three tectonic magma cycles and more periods have been recognized those are matched with the "Basin -body-Model" and (4)The geo-historical magma processes were non-homogeneous in time and space scale and so the magma rocks distributed in "zones" or "belts". 3. The study of magma process's effect on basin petroleum conditions have been made and the following new conclusions were reached: (1) the eruptive rocks were tend to be matched with the "caped source rock", and the magma process were favorable to the maturing of the source rocks. (2) The magma process were fruitful to the accumulation of the non-hydrocarbon reservoirs however a over magma process may damage the grade of resource rock; (3) Eruptive activity provided a fruitful environment for the formation of such new reservoir rocks as "co-eruptive turbidity sandstones" and "thermal water carbonate rocks" and the intrusive process can lead to the origin of "metamorphism rock reservoir"; (4) even if the intrusive process may cause the cap rock broken, the late Tertiary intrusive rocks may indeed provide the lateral seal and act as the cap rock locally even regionally. All above progresses are valuable for reconstructing the magma-sedimentary process history and enriching the theory system of modem petroleum geology. 4. A systematic classification system has been provided and the dominating factors for the origin and distribution of igneous rock reservoirs have been worked out based on the systematic case studies, which are as follows: (1) The classification is given based on multi-factors as the origin type, litho-phase, type of reservoir pore, reservoir ability etc., (2) Each type of reservoir was characterized in a detailed way; (3) There are 7 factors dominated the intrusive reservoir's characteristics including depth of intrusion, litho-facies of surrounding rocks, thickness of intrusive rock, intrusive facies, frequency and size of the working faults, shape and tectonic deformation of rock, erosion strength of the rock and the time of the intrusion ect., in the contrast, 4 factors are for eruptive rocks as volcanic facies, frequency and size of the working faults, strength of erosion and the thermal water processing. 5. Several new concept including "reservoir litho-facies", "composite-volcanic facies" and "reservoir system" ect. Were suggested, based on which the following models were established: (1) A seven reservoir belts model for a intrusive unit profile and further more, (2) a three layers cubic model consisted of three layer as "metamorphic roe layer", "marginal layer" and "the core"; (3) A five zones vertical reservoir sequence model consisted of five litho-facies named A, B, C, D and E for a original lava unit and furthermore three models respectively for a erosion, subsidence and faulted lava unit; (4) A composite volcanic face model for a lava cone or a composite cone that is consisted of three facies as "crater and nearby face", "middle slope" and "far slope", among which, the middle slope face is the most potential reservoir area and producible for oil & gas. 6. The concept of "igneous reservoir" was redefined as the igneous, and then a new concept of "igneous reservoir system" was supposed which means the reservoir system consisted of igneous and associated non-igneous reservoirs, with non-hydrocarbon reservoir included. 7. The origin and distribution of igneous reservoir system were probed and generalized for the exploration applications, and origin models of the main reservoir sub-systems have been established including those of igneous, related non-igneous and non-hydrocarbon. For intrusive rocks, two reservoir formation models have been suggested, one is called "Original or Primary Model", and the another one is "Secondary Model"; Similarly, the eruptive rock reservoirs were divided in three types including "Highly Produced", "Moderately Produced" and "Lowly Produced" and accordingly their formation models were given off; the related non-igneous reservoir system was considered combination of eight reservoirs, among which some ones like the Above Anticline Trap are highly produced; Also, the non-hydrocarbon. Trap system including five kinds of traps was discussed. 8. The concept models for four reservoir systems were suggested, which include the intrusive system consisted of 7 kinds of traps, the land eruptive system with 6 traps, the under water eruptive system including 6 kinds of traps and the non-hydrocarbon system combined by 5 kinds of traps. In this part, the techniques for exploration of igneous reservoir system were also generalized and probed, and based on which and the geological progresses of this paper, the potential resources and distributions of every reservoir system was evaluated and about 186 millions of reserves and eight most potential non-hydrocarbon areas were predicted and outlined. The author believe that the igneous reservoir system is a very important exploration area and its study is only in its early stage, the framework of this paper should be filled with more detailed studies, and only along way, the exploration of igneous reservoir system can go into it's really effective stage.