Mean grain size and structure of ODP Hole 140-504B samples

Microstructural investigations of ocean crust samples provide a complementary approach to both marine surveys and laboratory experiments. The recovery of relatively undeformed diabases from Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP)/Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Hole 504B provides a first opportunity to examine a reference section of microstructural features that influence strain localization at depths of 2 km in the ocean crust. Syn- and post-crystallization features in plagioclase and augite crystals have been examined by optical microscopy and secondary and backscattered electron imaging. These features show a strong influence of modal composition and primary textures on early sites of strain localization. Thermal cracking and subsequent alteration intensities and distribution are strongly phase dependent. A consistently higher intragranular fracture density is observed in augite crystals relative to plagioclase. The impact of alteration on the mechanical response of diabases is likely to depend on the primary textural characteristics. Even where extensive augite alteration occurs, the rock remains supported by a framework of weakly altered plagioclase crystals. The Hole 504B diabases from Leg 140 provide a valuable comparison for future studies of more deformed sections likely to be encountered at depth. Advances in constraining the detailed rheology of the ocean crust at spreading centers would benefit from experimental deformation of texturally diverse diabase and gabbro samples.

Wear and corrosion of mechanical seals

Mechanical seals are used extensively to seal machinery such as pumps, mixers and agitators in the oil, petrochemical and chemical industries. The performance of such machinery is critically dependent on these devices. Seal failures may result in the escape of dangerous chemicals, possibly causing injury or loss of life. Seal performance is limited by the choice of face materials available. These range from cast iron and stellited stainless steel to cemented and silicon carbides. The main factors that affect seal performance are the wear and corrosion of seal faces. This research investigated the feasibility of applying surface coating/treatments to seal materials, in order to provide improved seal performance. Various surface coating/treatment methods were considered; these included electroless nickel plating, ion plating, plasma nitriding, thermal spraying and high temperature diffusion processes. The best wear resistance, as evaluated by the Pin-on-Disc wear test method, was conferred by the sprayed tungsten carbide/nickel/tungsten-chromium carbide deposit, produced by the high energy plasma spraying (Jet-Kote) process. In general, no correlation was found between hardness and wear resistance or surface finish and friction. This is due primarily to the complexity of the wear and frictional oxidation, plastic deformation, ploughing, fracture and delamination. Corrosion resistance was evaluated by Tafel extrapolation, linear polarisation and anodic potentiodynamic polarisation techniques. The best corrosion performance was exhibited by an electroless nickel/titanium nitride duplex coating due to the passivity of the titanium nitride layer in the acidified salt solution. The surface coating/treatments were ranked using a systematic method, which also considered other properties such as adhesion, internal stress and resistance to thermal cracking. The sealing behaviour of surface coated/treated seals was investigated on an industrial seal testing rig. The best sealing performances were exhibited by the Jet-Kote and electroless nickel silicon carbide composite coated seals. The failure of the electroless nickel and electroless nickel/titanium nitride duplex coated seals was due to inadequate adhesion of the deposits to the substrate. Abrasion of the seal faces was the principal wear mechanism. For operation in an environment similar to the experimental system employed (acidified salt solution) the Jet-Kote deposit appears to be the best compromise.

Síntese e caracterização de niobiosilicatos para produção de biocombustível

The mesoporous materials has been an special attention, among them was discovered in the 1990´s the mesoporous molecular sieve of SBA-15 type. The good features of the SBA- 15 makes this material very promising in catalysis, however, due to the absence of native active sites, it has low catalytic activity. In this way, different metals and oxides have been included in this molecular sieve as a means of introducing active sites and increase its catalytic activity. Among the oxides that are being researched, there is the niobium oxide, which presents strong acid sites and exists in abundance. Brazil is the largest producer of the mineral. On the other hand, the production of biofuels has been desired, but it requires the development of new catalysts for this purpose. The aim of this work was to develop silicate of niobium by impregnation and by new synthesis method for application in the cracking of moringa oil. The methodology consisted of inserting the niobium oxide either by postsynthesis process using wet impregnation and direct insertion. For direct insert a new method was developed for pH adjustment, being tested different pH, and the pH 2.2 was used different ratios of Si/Nb. The materials were characterized by different techniques such as: XRD, N2 adsorption, SEM, EDS, UV-visible, TG/DTG, DSC, TEM, acidity by thermodesorption of n-butilamine and FTIR. After this part of the catalysts developed by the two methods were tested in the thermocatalytic cracking of moringa oil, being used a simple distillation. All silicates of Niobium obtained showed a highly ordered structure, having high specific areas, good distribution of pore diameters, beyond present a morphology in the form of fibers. In the catalysts after synthesis was observed that the niobium inserted has so as octahedrally and tetrahedrally coordinated, demonstrating that there were also oxides formed on the external surface of SBA-15. The materials obtained in the direct synthesis are only tetrahedrally coordinated. The new synthesis method of pH adjusting by using the buffer solution for it, proved to be very efficient for the production of such materials, because the materials obtained showed characteristics and structures similar to the molecular sieve of SBA-15 type. Among the pH tested the material that presented better characteristics was synthesized at pH 2.2. The application of these materials in catalytic cracking showed a higher formation of organic liquids when compared to thermal cracking, in addition to significantly reducing the acidity and residues formed, demonstrating that the use of silicates of Niobium increases both the conversion and the selectivity of the products.

Geochemical composition of ODP Site 210-1276 shales

During Ocean Drilling Program Leg 210, a greatly expanded sedimentary sequence of continuous Cretaceous black shales was recovered at Site 1276. This section corresponds to the Hatteras Formation, which has been documented widely in the North Atlantic Ocean. The cored sequence extends from the lowermost Albian, or possibly uppermost Aptian, to the Cenomanian/Turonian boundary and is characterized by numerous gravity-flow deposits and sporadic, finely laminated black shales. The sequence also includes several sedimentary intervals with high total organic carbon (TOC) contents, in several instances of probable marine origin that may record oceanic anoxic events (OAE). These layers might correspond to the Cenomanian-Turonian OAE 2; the mid-Cenomanian event; and OAE 1b, 1c, and 1d in the Albian. In addition, another interval with geochemical characteristics similar to OAE-type layers was recognized in the Albian, although it does not correspond to any of the known OAEs. This study investigates the origin of the organic matter contained within these black shale intervals using TOC and CaCO3 contents, Corg/Ntot ratios, organic carbon and nitrogen isotopes, trace metal composition, and rock-eval analyses. Most of these black shale intervals, especially OAE 2 and 1b, are characterized by low 15N values (<0) commonly observed in mid-Cretaceous black shales, which seem to reflect the presence of an altered nitrogen cycle with rates of nitrogen fixation significantly higher than in the modern ocean.

Hydrocarbon analyses of submarine mud volcanoes (MV) in the Kumano forearc basin

Twelve submarine mud volcanoes (MV) in the Kumano forearc basin within the Nankai Trough subduction zone were investigated for hydrocarbon origins and fluid dynamics. Gas hydrates diagnostic for methane concentrations exceeding solubilities were recovered from MVs 2, 4, 5, and 10. Molecular ratios (C1/C2<250) and stable carbon isotopic compositions (d13C-CH4 >-40 per mil V-PDB) indicate that hydrate-bound hydrocarbons (HCs) at MVs 2, 4, and 10 are derived from thermal cracking of organic matter. Considering thermal gradients at the nearby IODP Sites C0009 and C0002, the likely formation depth of such HCs ranges between 2300 and 4300 m below seafloor (mbsf). With respect to basin sediment thickness and the minimum distance to the top of the plate boundary thrust we propose that the majority of HCs fueling the MVs is derived from sediments of the Cretaceous to Tertiary Shimanto belt below Pliocene/Pleistocene to recent basin sediments. Considering their sizes and appearances hydrates are suggested to be relicts of higher MV activity in the past, although the sporadic presence of vesicomyid clams at MV 2 showed that fluid migration is sufficient to nourish chemosynthesis-based organisms in places. Distributions of dissolved methane at MVs 3, 4, 5, and 8 pointed at fluid supply through one or few MV conduits and effective methane oxidation in the immediate subsurface. The aged nature of the hydrates suggests that the major portion of methane immediately below the top of the methane-containing sediment interval is fueled by current hydrate dissolution rather than active migration from greater depth.

Conversão térmica e termocatalítica à baixa temperatura do óleo de girassol para obtenção de bio-óleo

The use of biofuels remotes to the eighteenth century, when Rudolf Diesel made the first trials using peanut oil as fuel in a compression ignition engine. Based on these trials, there was the need for some chemical change to vegetable oil. Among these chemical transformations, we can mention the cracking and transesterification. This work aims at conducting a study using the thermocatalytic and thermal cracking of sunflower oil, using the Al-MCM-41 catalyst. The material type mesoporous Al-MCM-41 was synthesized and characterized by Hydrothermical methods of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption, absorption spectroscopy in the infrared and thermal gravimetric analysis (TG / DTG).The study was conducted on the thermogravimetric behavior of sunflower oil on the mesoporous catalyst cited. Activation energy, conversion, and oil degradation as a function of temperature were estimated based on the integral curves of thermogravimetric analysis and the kinetic method of Vyazovkin. The mesoporous material Al-MCM-41 showed one-dimensional hexagonal formation. The study of the kinetic behavior of sunflower oil with the catalyst showed a lower activation energy against the activation energy of pure sunflower oil. Two liquid fractions of sunflower oil were obtained, both in thermal and thermocatalytic pyrolisis. The first fraction obtained was called bio-oil and the second fraction obtained was called acid fraction. The acid fraction collected, in thermal and thermocatalytic pyrolisis, showed very high level of acidity, which is why it was called acid fraction. The first fraction was collected bio-called because it presented results in the range similar to petroleum diesel

INVESTIGATIVE COMPARISON OF TANK AND RECOVERED ASPHALT SAMPLES THROUGH PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE TESTING AND CHEMICAL ANALYSIS

Despite the development of improved performance test protocols by renowned researchers, there are still road networks which experience premature cracking and failure. One area of major concern in asphalt science and technology, especially in cold regions in Canada is thermal (low temperature) cracking. Usually right after winter periods, severe cracks are seen on poorly designed road networks. Quality assurance tests based on improved asphalt performance protocols have been implemented by government agencies to ensure that roads being constructed are at the required standard but asphalt binders that pass these quality assurance tests still crack prematurely. While it would be easy to question the competence of the quality assurance test protocols, it should be noted that performance tests which are being used and were repeated in this study, namely the extended bending beam rheometer (EBBR) test, double edge-notched tension test (DENT), dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) test and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis have all been verified and proven to successfully predict asphalt pavement behaviour in the field. Hence this study looked to probe and test the quality and authenticity of the asphalt binders being used for road paving. This study covered thermal cracking and physical hardening phenomenon by comparing results from testing asphalt binder samples obtained from the storage ‘tank’ prior to paving (tank samples) and recovered samples for the same contracts with aim of explaining why asphalt binders that have passed quality assurance tests are still prone to fail prematurely. The study also attempted to find out if the short testing time and automated procedure of torsion bar experiments can replace the established but tedious procedure of the EBBR. In the end, it was discovered that significant differences in performance and composition exist between tank and recovered samples for the same contracts. Torsion bar experimental data also indicated some promise in predicting physical hardening.

Experimental analysis of direct thermal methane cracking

The analysis of the viability of Hydrogen production without CO2 emissions is one of the most challenging activities that have been initiated for a sustainable energy supply. As one of the tracks to fulfil such objective, direct methane cracking has been analysed experimentally to assess the scientific viability and reaction characterization in a broad temperature range, from 875 to 1700 ?C. The effect of temperature, sweeping/carrier gas fraction proposed in some concepts, methane flow rate, residence time, and tube material and porosity has been analysed. The aggregation of carbon black particles to the reaction tube is the main technological show-stopper that has been identified.

Elastodynamic erosion of thermal barrier coatings

The finite element method is used to analyze the elastodynamic response of a columnar thermal barrier coating due to normal impact and oblique impact by an erosive particle. An assessment is made of the erosion by crack growth from preexisting flaws at the edge of each column: it is demonstrated that particle impacts can be sufficiently severe to give rise to columnar cracking. First, the transient stress state induced by the normal impact of a circular cylinder or a sphere is calculated in order to assess whether a 2D calculation adequately captures the more realistic 3D behavior. It is found that the transient stress states for the plane strain and axisymmetric models are similar. The sensitivity of response to particle diameter and to impact velocity is determined for both the cylinder and the sphere. Second, the transient stress state is explored for 2D oblique impact by a circular cylindrical particle and by an angular cylindrical particle. The sensitivity of transient tensile stress within the columns to particle shape (circular and angular), impact angle, impact location, orientation of the angular particle, and to the level of friction is explored in turn. The paper concludes with an evaluation of the effect of inclining the thermal barrier coating columns upon their erosion resistance. © 2011 The American Ceramic Society.

On The Thermally Induced Cracking Of A Segmented Coating Deposited On The Outer Surface Of A Hollow Cylinder

In this work, the thermally induced cracking behavior of a segmented coating has been investigated. The geometry under consideration is a hollow cylinder with a segmented coating deposited onto its outer surface. The segmentation cracks are modeled as a periodic array of axial edge cracks. The finite element method is utilized to obtain the solution of the multiple crack problem and the Thermal Stress Intensity Factors (TSIFs) are calculated. Based on dimensional analysis, the main parameters affecting TSIFs are identified. It has been found that the TSIF is a monotonically increasing function of segmentation crack spacing. This result confirms that a segmented coating exhibits much higher thermal shock resistance than an intact counterpart, if only the segmentation crack spacing is narrow enough. The dependence of TSIF on some other parameters, such as normalized time, segmentation crack depth, convection severity as well as material constants, has also been discussed. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The elastic-plastic indentation response of a columnar thermal barrier coating

Thermal barrier coatings with a columnar microstructure are prone to erosion damage by a mechanism of surface cracking upon impact by small foreign particles. In order to explore this erosion mechanism, the elastic indentation and the elastic-plastic indentation responses of a columnar thermal barrier coating to a spherical indenter were determined by the finite element method and by analytical models. It was shown that the indentation response is intermediate between that of a homogeneous half-space and that given by an elastic-plastic mattress model (with the columns behaving as independent non-linear springs). The sensitivity of the indentation behaviour to geometry and to the material parameters was explored: the diameter of the columns, the gap width between columns, the coefficient of Coulomb friction between columns and the layer height of the thermal barrier coating. The calculations revealed that the level of induced tensile stress is sufficient to lead to cracking of the columns at a depth of about the column radius. It was also demonstrated that the underlying soft bond coat can undergo plastic indentation when the coating comprises parallel columns, but this is less likely for the more realistic case of a random arrangement of tapered columns. © 2009 Elsevier B.V.

Behavior of RC beams retrofitted with CARDIFRC after thermal cycling

This study investigates the effect of thermal cycling on the performance of concrete beams retrofitted with CARDIFRC, a new class of high performance fiber-reinforced cement-based material that is compatible with concrete. Twenty four beams were subjected to 24 h thermal cycles between 25 and 90°C. One third of the beams were reinforced either in flexure only or in flexure and shear with conventional steel reinforcement and used as control specimens. The remaining sixteen beams were retrofitted with CARDIFRC strips to provide external flexural and/or shear strengthening. All beams were exposed to a varied number of 24 h thermal cycles ranging from 0 to 90 and were tested in four-point bending at room temperature. The tests indicated that the retrofitted members were stronger and stiffer than control beams, and more importantly, that their failure initiated in flexure without any signs of interfacial delamination cracking. The results of these tests are presented and compared to analytical predictions. The predictions show good correlation with the experimental results. © 2010 ASCE.

Analytical Characterization, Thermal And Ftir Studies Of Urinary Calculi

Urolithiasis is identified to be a major urological disorder affecting people all over the world irrespective of their age, sex and race. Urinary stone samples resected from the urinary bladders of two patients belonging to tropical region, Kollam District of Kerala State, India are investigated by using XRD,SEM, EDAX, TGA, DSC and FTIR to understand its chemical structure. Uric acid shows exothermic peak around 432°C is due to the decomposition with the evolution of CO and cracking of the remaining products. Results of analytical studies reveal that samples under investigation consist mainly in uric acid and hydrated uric acid. Hydrogen bonding exists in hydrated uric acid samples

Influence of the degradation on the stress cracking values of high density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembranes after different exposures

This paper presents results from stress cracking (SC) tests performed in both fresh and exposed high density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembranes (GM). The HDPE GMs were exposed to ultraviolet radiation, thermal aging (air oven) and tested for chemical compatibility with sodium hydroxide. Stress cracking tests in both fresh and degraded samples were performed in accordance to ASTM D5397: Notched Constant Tensile Load Test (NCTL) and Single Point-Notched Constant Tensile Load Test (SP-NCTL). The results of the NCTL showed that the geomembrane degradation process can be considered to be a catalyst for the phenomenon of SC because it caused a 50% to 60% reduction in stress crack resistance. The most resistance reduction was observed for the sample under chemical compatibility with sodium hydroxide. For the SP-NCTL, the results showed that the samples maintain the same trend verified in the NCTL. The largest resistance reduction was evidenced in samples undergoing ultraviolet degradation. © 2012 ejge.

Effect of Thermal Treatments on the Mechanical Properties Enhancement of High Reliability Metallic Materials by Laser Shock Processing

Laser shock processing (LSP) is increasingly applied as an effective technology for the improvement of metallic materials mechanical properties in different types of components as a means of enhancement of their fatigue life behavior. As reported in previous contributions by the authors, a main effect resulting from the application of the LSP technique consists on the generation of relatively deep compression residual stresses fields into metallic components allowing an improved mechanical behaviour, explicitly the life improvement of the treated specimens against wear, crack growth and stress corrosion cracking. Additional results accomplished by the authors in the line of practical development of the LSP technique at an experimental level (aiming its integral assessment from an interrelated theoretical and experimental point of view) are presented in this paper. Concretely, experimental results on the residual stress profiles and associated mechanical properties modification successfully reached in typical materials under different LSP irradiation conditions are presented. In this case, the specific behavior of a widely used material in high reliability components (especially in nuclear and biomedical applications) as AISI 316L is analyzed, the effect of possible “in-service” thermal conditions on the relaxation of the LSP effects being specifically characterized. I.