Physical and Mechanical Properties of Coral Sand in the Nansha Islands

Coral sand is a unique material developed in the tropical ocean environment, which is mainly composed of coral and other marine organism debris, with the CaCO3 content up to 96 %. It has special physical and mechanical properties due to its composition, structure and sedimentary environment. In this contribution, we discuss its specific gravity, porosity ratio compressibility, crushing, shearing and intensity for coral sand samples from the Nansha islands based on laboratory mechanical tests. Our results show distinct high porosity ratio, high friction angle and low intensity as compared with the quartz sand. We believe that grain crushing is the main factor that influences the deformation and strength of coral sand. Comprehensive study on the physical and mechanical properties of coral sands is significant in providing reliable scientific parameters to construction on coral islet, and thus avoids accidents in construction.

Study on the Structural Characteristics and Physical and Mechanical Properties of Phoebe bournei Thinning Wood

The artificial afforestation of precious Phoebe bournei has been carried out in China.During the cultivation process,thinning wood will be produced.The properties of thinning wood might vary greatly with matured wood and require evaluation for better utilization.The objective of the present study aims to determine the wood structure,fiber morphology,and physical and mechanical properties of the Phoebe bournei thinning wood to help us understand the wood properties and improve its utility value.Three 14-year-old Phoebe bournei were cut from Jindong Forestry Farm of Hunan Province,China.The wood structure and fiber morphology were observed and analyzed with a light microscope and scanning electron microscope.The physical and mechanical properties were tested according to the Chinese national standards.The results showed as follows:(1)The Phoebe bournei thinning wood has a beautiful wood figure and fine texture,whereas the heartwood has not yet formed.(2)It is a diffuse-porous hardwood with small and less pores as well as fine wood rays.(3)The wood fiber is medium length and extremely thin wall thickness.(4)It is low in density and has excellent dimensionally stability.(5)The wood mechanical properties belong to the low to medium class and the comprehensive strength of wood belongs to the medium-strength class.It is concluded that Phoebe bournei thinning wood is suitable for wood carving,handicraft,high-end furniture,and decorative furniture parts.

Mechanical and acoustic emission characteristics of anhydrite rock under freeze-thaw cycles

To study the damage mechanisms of anhydrite rock under freeze-thaw cycles, the physicalmechanical properties and the microcracking activities of anhydrite rock were investigated through mass variation, nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning electron microscope tests, and uniaxial compression combined with acoustic emission(AE) tests. Results show that with the increase of freeze-thaw processes,the mass, uniaxial compression strength, and elastic modulus of the anhydrite specimens decrease while the porosity and plasticity characteristics increase.For example, after 120 cycles, the uniaxial compression strength and elastic modulus decrease by 46.54% and 60.16%, and the porosity increase by 75%. Combined with the evolution trend of stressstrain curves and the detected events, three stages were labeled to investigate the AE characteristics in freeze-thaw weathered anhydrite rock. It is found that with the increase of freeze-thaw cycles, the proportions of AE counts in stage Ⅰ and stage Ⅱ show a decaying exponential trend. Contrarily, the proportion of AE counts in stage Ⅲ displays an exponential ascending trend. Meanwhile, as the freeze-thaw cycles increase, the low-frequency AE signals increase while the intermediate-frequency AE signals decrease. After 120 cycles, the proportion of low-frequency AE signals increases by 168.95%, and the proportion of intermediate-frequency AE signals reduces by 81.14%. It is concluded that the microtensile cracking events occupy a dominant position during the loading process. With the increase of freeze-thaw cycles, the b value of samples decreases.After 120 cycles, b value decreases by 27.2%, which means that the proportion of cracking events in rocks with small amplitude decreases. Finally, it is proposed that the freeze-thaw damage mechanism of anhydrite is also characterized by the water chemical softening effect.

Research on thermal insulation materials properties under HTHP conditions for deep oil and gas reservoir rock ITP-Coring

Deep oil and gas reservoirs are under high-temperature conditions,but traditional coring methods do not consider temperature-preserved measures and ignore the influence of temperature on rock porosity and permeability,resulting in distorted resource assessments.The development of in situ temperaturepreserved coring(ITP-Coring)technology for deep reservoir rock is urgent,and thermal insulation materials are key.Therefore,hollow glass microsphere/epoxy resin thermal insulation materials(HGM/EP materials)were proposed as thermal insulation materials.The materials properties under coupled hightemperature and high-pressure(HTHP)conditions were tested.The results indicated that high pressures led to HGM destruction and that the materials water absorption significantly increased;additionally,increasing temperature accelerated the process.High temperatures directly caused the thermal conductivity of the materials to increase;additionally,the thermal conduction and convection of water caused by high pressures led to an exponential increase in the thermal conductivity.High temperatures weakened the matrix,and high pressures destroyed the HGM,which resulted in a decrease in the tensile mechanical properties of the materials.The materials entered the high elastic state at 150℃,and the mechanical properties were weakened more obviously,while the pressure led to a significant effect when the water absorption was above 10%.Meanwhile,the tensile strength/strain were 13.62 MPa/1.3%and 6.09 MPa/0.86%at 100℃ and 100 MPa,respectively,which meet the application requirements of the self-designed coring device.Finally,K46-f40 and K46-f50 HGM/EP materials were proven to be suitable for ITP-Coring under coupled conditions below 100℃ and 100 MPa.To further improve the materials properties,the interface layer and EP matrix should be optimized.The results can provide references for the optimization and engineering application of materials and thus technical support for deep oil and gas resource development.

Organo-silane compounds in medium density fiberboard:physical and mechanical properties

We studied the effects of nanoparticles of organo-silane（NOS） compounds in the size range of20–80 nm on physical and mechanical properties in medium density fiberboard,and used NOS at four consumption levels of 0,50,100,and 150 g kg-1dry wood fibers.Density of all treatments was kept constant at 0.67 g cm-3.The water-repellent property of organo-silane significantly reduced water absorption（WA） and thickness swelling but mechanical properties declined due to the reduced proportion of wood-fiber as organo-silane was added to the matrix：the compression ratio of MDF panels and the integrity among wood-fibers both declined,resulting in reduced mechanical properties.We recommend use of 50 g of NOS/kg wood-fiber to improve WA and thickness swelling while retaining acceptable mechanical properties.

Influence of cooling speed on the physical and mechanical properties of granite in geothermal-related engineering

In deep-earth engineering,the high earth temperature can significantly affect the rock's mechanical properties,especially when the rock is cooled during the construction process.Accordingly,whether the cooling speed affects the mechanical and physical properties of rocks is worth to be investigated.The present study explored the influence of the cooling rate on the physical and chemical properties of granite heated at 25–800°C.The mechanical and physical properties involved in this study included uniaxial compression strength,peak strain,modulus,P-wave velocity,mass and volume,the change of which could reflect the sensitivity of granite to the cooling rate.Acoustic emission(AE)monitoring,microscopic observation,and X-ray diffraction(XRD)are used to analyze the underlying damage mechanism.It is found that more AE signals and large-scale cracks are accounted for based on the b-value method when the specimens are cooled by water.Furthermore,the microscopic observation by polarized light microscopy indicates that the density,opening degree,and connectivity of the cracks under water cooling mode are higher than that under natural cooling mode.In addition,the XRD illustrates that there is no obvious change in mineral content and diffraction angle at different temperatures,which confirms that the change of mechanical properties is not related to the chemical properties.The present conclusion can provide a perspective to assess the damage caused by different cooling methods to hot rocks.

Effect of carbon nanotube on physical and mechanical properties of natural fiber/glass fiber/cement composites

The objective of this investigation was to introduce a cement-based composite of higher quality. For this purpose new hybrid nanocomposite from bagasse fiber,glass fiber and multi-wall carbon nanotubes（MWCNTs）were manufactured. The physical and mechanical properties of the manufactured composites were measured according to standard methods. The properties of the manufactured hybrid nanocomposites were dramatically better than traditional composites. Also all the reinforced composites with carbon nanotube, glass fiber or bagasse fiber exhibited better properties rather than neat cement.The results indicated that bagasse fiber proved suitable for substitution of glass fiber as a reinforcing agent in the cement composites. The hybrid nanocomposite containing10 % glass fiber, 10 % bagasse fiber and 1.5 % MWCNTs was selected as the best compound.

Design and Development of Composite Plywood that Integrates Fire Resistance,Water Resistance and Wear Resistance

In order to improve the fire resistance,water resistance and wear resistance of ordinary plywood products in the wood processing industry,three composite structures of plywood products S1,S2 and S3 were designed in this paper,and a reasonable production process was proposed.Through the physical and mechanical properties and fire resistance testing and technical and economic analysis,the applicability of composite plywood was evaluated.The results of the study showed that the physical mechanics of the three kinds of composite structure plywood met the standard requirements,and their fire resistance was far better than that of ordinary plywood.Among them,the S1 structural board had the best overall physical and mechanical properties.The S3 structural board showed the best fire resistance,which was about 1.9 times more than that of ordinary plywood,and the added cost was the lowest.The thin cork board added to the S2 structural board had poor fire performance since the air in the cork board cavities had a certain combustion-supporting effect,which inhibited the fire resistance of high-pressure laminate(HPL)layer.Moreover,the additional cost of the S2 board was the highest,and its comprehensive performance was the worst.The S3 structural plywood product composed of HPL fireproof board with a thickness of about 1 mm in the surface layer and ordinary plywood with a thickness of about 12 mm in the core layer was the most cost-effective product,which could meet the needs of various fields such as construction,home furnishing,decoration and transportation.

Mechanical Behavior of Bamboo,and Its Biomimetic Composites and Structural Members:A Systematic Review

Bamboo is a typical biological material widely growing in nature with excellent physical and mechanical properties.It is lightweight with high strength and toughness.The naturally optimized bamboo structure,which has inspired global material scientists and engineers for decades,is significantly important for the bionic design of novel structural materials with ultra-light,ultra-strong,or ultra-tough and comprehensive properties.Typical literature on innovative composite materials and structural members inspired by bamboo are reviewed in this paper,and the research progress and prospects in this field are expounded in three parts.First,the structural characteristics of the bamboo wall layer along the thickness and height directions are described in terms of chemical composition,gradient structure,pore structure,and hollow structure with variable cross-section.Second,this paper summarizes the research progress on new composite materials and structural components by applying bamboo’s structural features from the perspective of sustainability,designability,and customization.Finally,given the limitations of current research,the biomimetic scientific research on bamboo’s structural characteristics is prospected from the interpretation of bamboo structure,new bamboo-like materials,and structural design optimization perspectives,providing a reference for future research on biomimetic aspects of biomass.

Cement-bonded particleboard with a mixture of wheat straw and poplar wood

We investigated the hydration behavior and some physical/mechanical properties of cement-bonded particleboard （CBPB） containing particles of wheat straw and poplar wood at various usage ratios and bonded with Portland cement mixed with different levels of inorganic additives. We determined the setting time and compression strength of cement pastes containing different additives and particles, and studied the effects of these additives and particles on thickness swelling, internal bond strength and modulus of rupture of CBPB by using RSM （Response Surface Methodology）. The mathematical model equations （second-order response functions） were derived to optimize properties of CBPB by computer simulation programming. Predicted values were in agreement with experimental values （R2 values of 0.93, 0.96 and 0.96 for TS, IB and MOR, respectively）. RSM can be efficiently applied to model panel properties. The variables can affect the properties of panels. The cement composites with bending strength 〉 12.5 MPa and internal bond strength 〉 0.28 MPa can be made by using wheat straw as a reinforcing material. Straw particle usage up to 11.5% in the mixture satisfies the minimum requirements of International Standard, EN 312 （2003） for IB and MOR. The dose of 4.95% calcium chloride, by weight of cement, can improve mechanical properties of the panels at the minimum requirement of EN 312. By increasing straw content from 0 to 30%, TS was reduced by increasing straw particle usage up to 1.5% and with 5.54% calcium chloride in the mixture, TS satisfied the EN 312 standard.

The effect of urea pretreatment on the formaldehyde emission and properties of straw particleboard

For manufacturing low-formaldehyde emission particleboard from wheat straw and urea-formaldehyde （UF） resins using urea treatment for indoor environments, we investigated the influence of urea treatment on the formaldehyde emission, physical and mechanical properties of the manufactured particleboard. Wheat straws were treated at three levels of urea concentration （5%, 10%, 15%） and 95℃ as holding temperature. Wheat straw particleboards were manufactured using hot press at 180℃ and 3 MPa with two types of UF adhesive （UF-45, UF-91）. Then the formaldehyde emission values, physical properties and mechanical properties were considered. The results show that the for- maldehyde emission value was decreased by increasing urea concentration. Furthermore, the results indicate that the specimens under urea treatment have better mechanical and physical properties compared with control specimens. Also specimens under urea treatment at 10% concentration and UF-91 type adhesive have the most optimum physical and mechanical strength.

A Comparison of Shale Gas Fracturing Based on Deep and Shallow Shale Reservoirs in the United States and China

China began to build its national shale gas demonstration area in 2012.The central exploration,drilling,and development technologies for medium and shallow marine shale reservoirs with less than 3,500m of buried depth in Changning-Weiyuan,Zhaotong,and other regions had matured.In this study,we macroscopically investigated the development history of shale gas in the United States and China and compared the physical and mechanical conditions of deep and shallow reservoirs.The comparative results revealed that themain reasons for the order-ofmagnitude difference between China’s annual shale gas output and the United States could be attributed to three aspects:reservoir buried depth,reservoir physical and mechanical properties,and engineering technology level.The current engineering technology level of China could not meet the requirements of increasing production and reducing costs for deep shale gas reservoirs;they had reached the beneficial threshold development stage and lacked the capacity for large-scale commercial production.We identified several physical and mechanical reasons for this threshold development stage.Deep shale reservoirs were affected by the bedding fracture,low brittleness index,low clay mineral content,and significant areal differences,as well as by the transformation from elasticity to plasticity,difficulty in sanding,and high mechanical and strength parameters.Simultaneously,they were accompanied by six high values of formation temperature,horizontal principal stress difference,pore pressure,fracture pressure,extension pressure,and closure pressure.The key to deep shale gas horizontal well fracturing was to improve the complexity of the hydraulic fracture network,formadequate proppant support of fracture surface,and increase the practical stimulated reservoir volume(SRV),which accompanied visual hydraulic discrete network monitoring.On this basis,we proposed several ideas to improve China’s deep shale gas development involving advanced technology systems,developing tools,and supporting technologies in shale gas exploration and development in the United States.These ideas primarily involved stimulation technologies,such as vertically integrated dessert identification and optimization,horizontal well multistage/multicluster fracturing,staged tools development for horizontal wells,fractures network morphology monitoring by microseismic and distributed optical fiber,shale hydration expansion,soak well,and fracturing fluid flow back.China initially developed the critical technology of horizontal well large-scale and high-strength volume fracturing with a core of“staged fracturing with dense cutting+shorter cluster spacing+fracture reorientation by pitching+forced-sand addition+increasing diameter perforating+proppant combination by high strength and small particle size particles”.We concluded that China should continue to conduct critical research on theories and technical methods of horizontal well fracturing,suitable for domestic deep and ultra-deep marine and marine-continental sedimentary shale,to support and promote the efficient development of shale gas in China in the future.It is essential to balance the relationship between the overall utilization degree of the gas reservoir and associated economic benefits and to localize some essential tools and supporting technologies.These findings can contribute to the flourishing developments of China’s deep shale gas.

Effects of Radial-Orientation-Die Structure Parameters on Properties of Short Fiber and Rubber Composite Material

The radial-orientation-die has special structure to make short fibers get radial orientation in rubber matrix during extrusion process,which means the physical and mechanical properties of short fiber and rubber composite material will be influenced by the die different structures. The effects of radial-orientation-die structure parameters on properties of short fiber and rubber composite were studied experimentally by different structure parameters, including expansion ratio, expansion angle, dam clearance, molding channel length, convergence angle, and transition channel length. The experimental results indicated that short fiber and rubber composite could get good properties with optimized radial-orientation-die structure parameter. And the optimized structure parameters are that expansion ratio is about 5with an expansion angle of 150°,dam clearance is about 4 mm,molding channel length is about 50 mm,convergence angle is about120°,and transition channel length is about 30 mm. Accordingly,the physical and mechanical properties of the composite can be remarkably improved,which give an obvious anisotropy.

Review and prospect of the effects of freeze-thaw on soil geotechnical properties

Freeze-thaw hazard is one of the main problems in cold regions engineering and artificial ground freezing engineering.To mitigate freeze-thaw hazards,it is essential to investigate the effects of freeze-thaw on soils engineering properties.This paper summarizes the effects of freeze-thaw on the physical and mechanical properties of soils reported in recent studies.The differences of freeze-thaw conditions between freezing shaft sinking and cold regions engineering are discussed.Based on the technological characteristics of freezing shaft sinking in deep alluvium,we further attempt to identify key research needs regarding the freeze-thaw effects on the engineering properties of deep soils.

Characterization of Clay Materials and Performance Evaluation of Fired Clay Composites Made for Low-Cost Housing

This study deals with the physico-chemical, mineralogical and geotechnical characterization of alluvial clays from Batchenga in Cameroon with a view to their use as building materials for housing. The alluvial clay (Arg.All) was collected in the locality of Batchenga at the village Natchigal (4˚20'40''N and 11˚37'40''E at 378 m altitude) and was fired between 900˚C and 1100˚C. Characterization was performed by XRD, XRF, DTA/DTG, and firing tests. XRD, XRF, DTA/DTG infrared analysis methods were performed on these clays. The linear shrinkage, mechanical strengths, water absorption, porosity and density were measured on the fired products. The results obtained show that the major oxides are for the Arg.Lat SiO2 (72.13%), Al2O3 (14.1%), Fe2O3 (4.45%) and for the Arg.All: SiO2 (48.91%), Al2O3 (23.79%), Fe2O3 (9.54%). The fired products based on alluvial clay, present the flexural strength of 4.45 MPa at 900˚C and 6.80 MPa at 1100˚C. As for those based on lateritic clay, the flexural strength is 0.53 and 0.76 MPa respectively at 900 and 1100˚C. The porosity is 33.69% at 900˚C and 22.93% at 1100˚C for the alluvial clay and 39.55% at 900˚C and 36.01% for the lateritic clay at 1100˚C. Water absorption is 18% to 11.16% for alluvial clay and 22.43% to 21.16% for lateritic clay at 900˚C and 1100˚C respectively. These results suggest that alluvial clay and its firing products have better physico-chemical, geotechnical and mechanical characteristics regardless of the firing temperature of the manufactured products. The addition of degreaser is recommended to improve the mechanical performance of lateritic clay.

Comparative Study of the Reactivity of Clay Earth Materials for the Production of Compressed Earth Blocks in Ambient Conditions: Effect on Their Physico-Mechanical Performances

This study assesses the reactivity of four (04) different types of clayey earthen materials (Kamboinsé, Pabré, Saaba, and Kossodo) with Ca(OH)2, analytical lime (AL) versus lime residu (LR), in ambient conditions. The effect of the stabilization of the earth with the LR was also studied on the performances of compressed earth blocks (CEB). The lime content varied from 0% to 20% with respect to the mass of dry earth material. The analysis of the reactivity and physico-mechanical properties were respectively carried out on the solutions of the mixtures (earth + LR and earth + AL) and CEB (earth + LR). The mixtures were cured between 0 and 60 days at the ambient temperature of laboratory (30℃ ± 5℃). The results showed that the reactivity of the clayey earth materials with AL is comparable to that with the LR. At the same time, this reactivity improved the physical and mechanical properties of stabilized CEB depending on the type of earth material, lime content and curing time. The maximum values of the dry compressive strength, observed for each material stabilized with 20% LR, are 6 and 7 MPa (Kamboinsé), 8.8 and 9.3 MPa (Pabré), 6 and 6.5 MPa (Saaba), 8.8 and 9.7 MPa (Kossodo) respectively at curing time of 28 and 45 days. The structural efficiency of CEB was also improved which implies that, in the current conditions, the stabilization of earth materials using LR allows to produce the CEB for potential applications in wall masonry.

Interaction of the Mining Environment on the Properties of Hydraulic Mortars in Silty Sands in Togo

The objective of this study is to determine the influence of the surrounding soils on the granular properties of the silty sands of Togo and on the resistance of the mortars. Sand compositions are made by substituting silty sands with clay soil, vegetal soil, lateritic soil or fine elements (<0.08 mm) which are the surrounding land polluting the sands in Togo. After identification tests, the mixtures were used to prepare test specimens of mortar which are subjected to bending and compression. It appears that additions of clay and plastic soils (ES = 0, VBM > 0.53 and IP > 19) from 10% to 35% cause drops in resistance of mortars from 7% to 96%;this loss is 8% to 70% for the rates of addition of less clayey soil (ES = 33, VBM = 0.40 and IP = 0) at rates of 10% to 100%. As for fine powdery soils (ES = 56.53 and VBM = 0.25), they have virtually no influence on resistance (loss of less than 3% for rates of 100%). Construction stakeholders thus have a decision-making tool for the choice of silty sand extraction zones according to the surrounding land and the quality of the desired concrete.

Study on Physical and Mechanical Properties of Structural Laminated Bamboo Panel

In this paper, the physical and mechanical properties of laminated bamboo lumber were studied by testing moisture content, delamination ratio, horizontal shear strength, MOE and MOR of the structure-use material, in the same time, these subjects of finger-joint were tested too. The results showed that, the horizontal shear strength, MOR, MOE of laminated bamboo were superior to the ordinary structure-use timber in architecture, such as Pinus. The performance of aging test was not extraordinary, although the physical and mechanical properties of laminated bamboo lumber decreased after aging test, these properties were beyond Pinus yet.

The Influence of Elimination of Roving Frame on Ring Spun Cotton Yarn Characteristics

Generally, ring spun yarns are manufactured from roving which is produced by roving frame. In this paper, an experiment has been done producing ring spun cotton yarn directly from finisher drawn sliver eliminating the roving frame. Total 3 types of yarn with the various linear density of 8 Ne, 10 Ne & 12 Ne were produced using a roving frame and without using a roving frame. In the next step, physical and mechanical properties of those yarns including unevenness, imperfections, hairiness & tenacity were investigated. The result showed that ring spun cotton yarns produced from sliver exhibited inferior physical and mechanical properties compared with samples from the conventional ring spinning system.

Construction of virtual mulch film model based on discrete element method and simulation of its physical mechanical properties

In China,especially in Xinjiang Region,mulch film remaining in the soil has severely jeopardized the safety of soil resources.To numerically simulate the residual film-soil-recovery implementation system,a virtual mulch film model with consistent physical and mechanical properties with real mulch film needs to be established.In this study,a flexible deformable virtual mulch film model was constructed using YADE software based on the Minkowski Sum principle and the ball-ball force-displacement constitutive rule,as well as the contact failure rule were established.The deformation behaviors of cylinders and PFacet elements,such as stretching,bending,and torsion,were described.By splicing the basic PFacet elements,a virtual mulch model was established.The mechanical model of a virtual mulch film under tension was established and the axial tensile stiffness coefficient kn was determined to be 43.30 N·m.To verify the physical and mechanical properties of this virtual mulch film,both real and virtual stretching and tearing tests were conducted.The experimental results showed that:in the process of stretching and tearing of real and virtual films,the properties of morphological features of both are basically identical;however,they clearly differ in force-displacement.The viscoelastic constitutive model between balls and yield judgment conditions requires further study.