Physical and hydraulic characterization of fractured, hydrophobic sulphur within above-ground sulphur blocks

2009 ◽  
Vol 46 (12) ◽  
pp. 1461-1472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristie Bonstrom ◽  
S. Lee Barbour ◽  
M. Jim Hendry

Volatility in the price of sulphur has resulted in the temporary storage of sulphur in large, surface blocks at oil sands properties in northern Alberta, Canada, that are subject to oxidation which produces acidic effluent. Characterization of water storage and migration within these blocks is required to assess potential environmental impacts. Investigation of the elemental sulphur (S0) blocks at Syncrude’s Mildred Lake site included fracture mapping and laboratory testing of core samples for density and permeability to air and water. Internal porosity was mapped with X-ray tomography, and water-intrusion porosimetry was used to define saturation–pressure relationships. The blocks have regular polygonal fractures with a porosity of approximately 1.4%. The mean total and water-available porosity of core samples was 9% and 6%, respectively. The water-entry pressure head was 1–2 m for matrix pores, but only 1–2 mm for fractures. Estimated functional relationships for volumetric water content versus water pressure of the fracture and matrix system are used to illustrate how infiltration is likely to occur rapidly along fracture pathways but with insufficient pressure to allow water to penetrate the matrix, suggesting that acid production occurs by flushing of the fracture surface with little influence from the matrix.

Author(s):  
G. Das ◽  
R. E. Omlor

Fiber reinforced titanium alloys hold immense potential for applications in the aerospace industry. However, chemical reaction between the fibers and the titanium alloys at fabrication temperatures leads to the formation of brittle reaction products which limits their development. In the present study, coated SiC fibers have been used to evaluate the effects of surface coating on the reaction zone in the SiC/IMI829 system.IMI829 (Ti-5.5A1-3.5Sn-3.0Zr-0.3Mo-1Nb-0.3Si), a near alpha alloy, in the form of PREP powder (-35 mesh), was used a茸 the matrix. CVD grown AVCO SCS-6 SiC fibers were used as discontinuous reinforcements. These fibers of 142μm diameter contained an overlayer with high Si/C ratio on top of an amorphous carbon layer, the thickness of the coating being ∽ 1μm. SCS-6 fibers, broken into ∽ 2mm lengths, were mixed with IMI829 powder (representing < 0.1vol%) and the mixture was consolidated by HIP'ing at 871°C/0. 28GPa/4h.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 2225
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Kotarska ◽  
Tomasz Poloczek ◽  
Damian Janicki

The article presents research in the field of laser cladding of metal-matrix composite (MMC) coatings. Nickel-based superalloys show attractive properties including high tensile strength, fatigue resistance, high-temperature corrosion resistance and toughness, which makes them widely used in the industry. Due to the insufficient wear resistance of nickel-based superalloys, many scientists are investigating the possibility of producing nickel-based superalloys matrix composites. For this study, the powder mixtures of Inconel 625 superalloy with 10, 20 and 40 vol.% of TiC particles were used to produce MMC coatings by laser cladding. The titanium carbides were chosen as reinforcing material due to high thermal stability and hardness. The multi-run coatings were tested using penetrant testing, macroscopic and microscopic observations, microhardness measurements and solid particle erosive test according to ASTM G76-04 standard. The TiC particles partially dissolved in the structure during the laser cladding process, which resulted in titanium and carbon enrichment of the matrix and the occurrence of precipitates formation in the structure. The process parameters and coatings chemical composition variation had an influence on coatings average hardness and erosion rates.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002199832110055
Author(s):  
Zeeshan Ahmad ◽  
Sabah Khan

Alumnium alloy LM 25 based composites reinforced with boron carbide at different weight fractions of 4%, 8%, and 12% were fabricated by stir casting technique. The microstructures and morphology of the fabricated composites were studied by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Elemental mapping of all fabricated composites were done to demonstrate the elements present in the matrix and fabricated composites. The results of microstructural analyses reveal homogenous dispersion of reinforcement particles in the matrix with some little amount of clustering found in composites reinforced with 12% wt. of boron carbide. The mechanical characterization is done for both alloy LM 25 and all fabricated composites based on hardness and tensile strength. The hardness increased from 13.6% to 21.31% and tensile strength 6.4% to 22.8% as reinforcement percentage of boron carbide particles increased from 0% to 12% wt. A fractured surface mapping was also done for all composites.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 3097
Author(s):  
Roberto Benato ◽  
Antonio Chiarelli ◽  
Sebastian Dambone Sessa

The purpose of this paper is to highlight that, in order to assess the availability of different HVDC cable transmission systems, a more detailed characterization of the cable management significantly affects the availability estimation since the cable represents one of the most critical elements of such systems. The analyzed case study consists of a multi-terminal direct current system based on both line commutated converter and voltage source converter technologies in different configurations, whose availability is computed for different transmitted power capacities. For these analyses, the matrix-based reliability estimation method is exploited together with the Monte Carlo approach and the Markov state space one. This paper shows how reliability analysis requires a deep knowledge of the real installation conditions. The impact of these conditions on the reliability evaluation and the involved benefits are also presented.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1055
Author(s):  
Hersh Chaitin ◽  
Michael L. Lu ◽  
Michael B. Wallace ◽  
Yunqing Kang

Many decellularized extracellular matrix-derived whole organs have been widely used in studies of tissue engineering and cancer models. However, decellularizing porcine esophagus to obtain decellularized esophageal matrix (DEM) for potential biomedical applications has not been widely investigated. In this study a modified decellularization protocol was employed to prepare a porcine esophageal DEM for the study of cancer cell growth. The cellular removal and retention of matrix components in the porcine DEM were fully characterized. The microstructure of the DEM was observed using scanning electronic microscopy. Human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and human primary esophageal fibroblast cells (FBCs) were seeded in the DEM to observe their growth. Results show that the decellularization process did not cause significant loss of mechanical properties and that blood ducts and lymphatic vessels in the submucosa layer were also preserved. ESCC and FBCs grew on the DEM well and the matrix did not show any toxicity to cells. When FBS and ESCC were cocultured on the matrix, they secreted more periostin, a protein that supports cell adhesion on matrix. This study shows that the modified decellularization protocol can effectively remove the cell materials and maintain the microstructure of the porcine esophageal matrix, which has the potential application of studying cell growth and migration for esophageal cancer models.


2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 4051-4062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle R. Gallas ◽  
Mary K. Dienhart ◽  
Rosemary A. Stuart ◽  
Roy M. Long

Many mitochondrial proteins are encoded by nuclear genes and after translation in the cytoplasm are imported via translocases in the outer and inner membranes, the TOM and TIM complexes, respectively. Here, we report the characterization of the mitochondrial protein, Mmp37p (YGR046w) and demonstrate its involvement in the process of protein import into mitochondria. Haploid cells deleted of MMP37 are viable but display a temperature-sensitive growth phenotype and are inviable in the absence of mitochondrial DNA. Mmp37p is located in the mitochondrial matrix where it is peripherally associated with the inner membrane. We show that Mmp37p has a role in the translocation of proteins across the mitochondrial inner membrane via the TIM23-PAM complex and further demonstrate that substrates containing a tightly folded domain in close proximity to their mitochondrial targeting sequences display a particular dependency on Mmp37p for mitochondrial import. Prior unfolding of the preprotein, or extension of the region between the targeting signal and the tightly folded domain, relieves their dependency for Mmp37p. Furthermore, evidence is presented to show that Mmp37 may affect the assembly state of the TIM23 complex. On the basis of these findings, we hypothesize that the presence of Mmp37p enhances the early stages of the TIM23 matrix import pathway to ensure engagement of incoming preproteins with the mtHsp70p/PAM complex, a step that is necessary to drive the unfolding and complete translocation of the preprotein into the matrix.


Fuel ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. 874-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward A. Cloutis ◽  
Michael J. Gaffey ◽  
Thomas F. Moslow

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josef Diblík ◽  
Denys Ya. Khusainov ◽  
Irina V. Grytsay ◽  
Zdenĕk Šmarda

Many processes are mathematically simulated by systems of discrete equations with quadratic right-hand sides. Their stability is thought of as a very important characterization of the process. In this paper, the method of Lyapunov functions is used to derive classes of stable quadratic discrete autonomous systems in a critical case in the presence of a simple eigenvalueλ=1of the matrix of linear terms. In addition to the stability investigation, we also estimate stability domains.


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