Influence of introducing Zr,Ti,Nb and Ce elements on externally solidified crystals and mechanical properties of high-pressure die-casting Al–Si alloy

High pressure die casting(HPDC)AlSi10Mn Mg alloy castings are widely used in the automobile industry.Mg can optimize the mechanical properties of castings through heat treatment,while the release of thermal stress arouses the deformation of large integrated die-castings.Herein,the development of non-heat treatment Al alloys is becoming the hot topic.In addition,HPDC contains externally solidified crystals(ESCs),which are detrimental to the mechanical properties of castings.To achieve high strength and toughness of non-heat treatment die-casting Al-Si alloy,we used AlSi9Mn alloy as matrix with the introduction of Zr,Ti,Nb,and Ce.Their influences on ESCs and mechanical properties were systematically investigated through three-dimensional reconstruction and thermodynamic simulation.Our results reveal that the addition of Ti increased ESCs'size and porosity,while the introduction of Nb refined ESCs and decreased porosity.Meanwhile,large-sized Al_3(Zr,Ti)phases formed and degraded the mechanical properties.Subsequent introduction of Ce resulted in the poisoning effect and reduced mechanical properties.

Nano-scale Reinforcements and Properties of Al-Si-Cu Alloy Processed by High-Pressure Torsion

To improve the comprehensive mechanical properties of Al-Si-Cu alloy,it was treated by a high-pressure torsion process,and the effect of the deformation degree on the microstructure and properties of the Al-Si-Cu alloy was studied.The results show that the reinforcements(β-Si andθ-CuAl_(2)phases)of the Al-Si-Cu alloy are dispersed in theα-Al matrix phase with finer phase size after the treatment.The processed samples exhibit grain sizes in the submicron or even nanometer range,which effectively improves the mechanical properties of the material.The hardness and strength of the deformed alloy are both significantly raised to 268 HV and 390.04 MPa by 10 turns HPT process,and the fracture morphology shows that the material gradually transits from brittle to plastic before and after deformation.The elements interdiffusion at the interface between the phases has also been effectively enhanced.In addition,it is found that the severe plastic deformation at room temperature induces a ternary eutectic reaction,resulting in the formation of ternary Al+Si+CuAl_(2)eutectic.

Experimental and Finite Element Analysis of Corroded High-Pressure Pipeline Repaired by Laminated Composite

Repairs of corroded high-pressure pipelines are essential for fluids transportation under high pressure.One of the methods used in their repairs is the use of layered composites.The composite used must have the necessary strength.Therefore,the experiments and analytical solutions presented in this paper are performed according to the relevant standards and codes,including ASME PCC-2,ASME B31.8S,ASME B31.4,ISO 24817 and ASME B31.G.In addition,the experimental tests are replicated numerically using the finite element method.Setting the strain gauges at different distances from the defect location,can reduce the nonlinear effects,deformation,and fluctuations due to the high pressure.The direct relationship between the depth of an axial defect and the stress concentration is observed at the inner side edges of the defect.Composite reparation reduces the non-linearities related to the sharp variation of the geometry and a more reliable numerical simulation could be performed.

The discovery of TiO_(2)-Ⅱ,the α-PbO_(2)-structured high-pressure polymorph of rutile,in the Suizhou L6 chondrite

We report the discovery of TiO_(2)-Ⅱ in the unmelted rock of the shocked Suizhou L6 chondrite.Natural TiO_(2)-Ⅱ was previously found in ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic and mantle-derived rocks,terrestrial impact structures,and tektite.Our microscopic,Raman spectroscopic,electron microprobe and transmission electron microscopic investigations have revealed:(1) All observed TiO_(2)-Ⅱ grains are related with ilmenite and pyrophanite;(2) TiO_(2)-Ⅱ occurs as needle-and leaf-shaped inclusions in llmenite and patch-,tape-shaped body in pyrophanite;(3)The composition of TiO_(2)-Ⅱ is identical with that of its precursor rutile;(4) The Raman spectrum of TiO_(2)-Ⅱ is in good agreement with that of natural and synthesized α-PbO_(2)-type TiO_(2);(5) TiO_(2)-Ⅱ occurs mainly in the form of well-ordered nano-domains and small mis-orientation among the domains can be observed.(6) All electron diffraction reflections from TiO_(2)-Ⅱ can be indexed to α-PbO_(2)structure in space group Pbcn with lattice parameters of a=4.481 ?,b=5.578 A and c=4.921 A;(7) The exsolution inclusions of rutile from host ilmenite are mostly connected with an alternation process along the lamellar twinning plane of ilmenite induced by shockinduced high pressure and high temperature;(8) The P-T regime of 20-25 GPa and 1000 ℃ estimated for the Suizhou unmelted rock is suitable for phase transition of rutile into TiO_(2)-Ⅱ phase.

Numerical Simulation Analysis of the Transformer Fire Extinguishing Process with a High-Pressure Water Mist System under Different Conditions

To thoroughly study the extinguishing effect of a high-pressure water mist fire extinguishing system when a transformer fire occurs,a 3D experimental model of a transformer is established in this work by employing Fire Dynamics Simulator(FDS)software.More specifically,by setting different parameters,the process of the highpressure water mist fire extinguishing system with the presence of both diverse ambient temperatures and water mist sprinkler laying conditions is simulated.In addition,the fire extinguishing effect of the employed high-pressure water mist system with the implementation of different strategies is systematically analyzed.The extracted results show that a fire source farther away fromthe centerline leads to a lower local temperature distribution.In addition,as the ambient temperature increases,the temperature above the fire source decreases,while the temperature and the concentrationof theupperflue gas layer bothdecrease.Interestingly,after thehigh-pressurewatermist sprinkler begins to operate,both the temperature distribution above the fire source and the concentration of the flue gas decrease,which indicates that the high-pressure water mist system plays the role of cooling and dust removal.By comparing various sprinkler laying methods,it is found that the lower sprinkler height has a better effect on the temperature above the fire source,the temperature of the upper flue gas layer,and the concentration of the flue gas.Moreover,when the sprinkler is spread over thewhole transformer,the cooling effect on both the temperature above the fire source and the temperature of the upper flue gas layer is good,whereas the change in the concentration of the flue gas above the fire source is not obvious compared to the case where the sprinkler is not fully spread.

High-pressure new phases of V–N compounds

The high-pressure diagram of V–N compounds is enriched by proposed seven new stable high-pressure phases.The P-1-VN_4with the armchair N-rich structure may be quenched to ambient conditions.The formed N–N covalent bond plays an important role for the structural stability of N-chain.The charge transfer results in a V–N ionic bond interaction,which further improves the stability of N-chain structure.The P-1-VN_4,P4mnc-VN_8,and Immm-VN_(10)with the outstanding detonation properties have potential application in explosive field.

A new transition metal diphosphideα-MoP_(2) synthesized by a high-temperature and high-pressure technique

Monoclinicα-MoP_(2),with the OsGe2-type structure(space group C2/m,Z=4)and lattice parameters a=8.7248(11)Å,b=3.2322(4)Å,c=7.4724(9)Å,andβ=119.263°,was synthesized under a pressure of 4~GPa at a temperature between 1100℃and 1200℃.The structure ofα-MoP_(2) and its relationship to other transition metal diphosphides are discussed.Surprisingly,the ambient pressure phase orthorhombicβ-MoP_(2)(space group Cmc21)is denser in structure thanα-MoP_(2).Room-temperature high-pressure x-ray diffraction studies exclude the possibility of phase transition fromβ-MoP_(2) to α-MoP_(2),suggesting thatα-MoP_(2) is a stable phase at ambient conditions;this is also supported by the total energy and phonon calculations.

High-pressure Raman study of MgV_2O_6synthesized at highpressure and high temperature

A new structural phase of MgV2O6 was obtained by a high-pressure, high-temperature （HPHT） synthesis method. The new phase was investigated by the Rietveld analysis of X-ray powder diffraction data, showing space group Pbcn （No. 60） symmetry and a = 13.6113（6）A （1A =0.1 nm）, b = 5.5809（1）A, c = 4.8566（3）A, V = 368.93（2）A3 （Z = 4）. High pressure behavior was studied by Raman spectroscopy at room temperature. Under 22.5 GPa, there was no sign of a structural phase transition in the spectra, demonstrating stability of the HPHT phase up to the highest pressure.

A study of hydrate plug formation in a subsea natural gas pipeline using a novel high-pressure flow loop

The natural gas pipeline from Platform QKI8-1 in the southwest of Bohai Bay to the onshore processing facility is a subsea wet gas pipeline exposed to high pressure and low temperature for a long distance. Blockages in the pipeline occur occasionally. To maintain the natural gas flow in the pipeline, we proposed a method for analyzing blockages and ascribed them to the hydrate formation and agglomeration. A new high-pressure flow loop was developed to investigate hydrate plug formation and hydrate particle size, using a mixture of diesel oil, water, and natural gas as experimental fluids. The influences of pressure and initial flow rate were also studied. Experimental results indicated that when the flow rate was below 850 kg/h, gas hydrates would form and then plug the pipeline, even at a low water content （10%） of a water/oil emulsion. Furthermore, some practical suggestions were made for daily management of the subsea pipeline.

Tectonic Evolution of an Early Precambrian High-Pressure Granulite Belt in the North China Craton

A large-scale high-pressure granulite belt (HPGB), more than 700 km long, is recognized within the metamorphic basement of the North China craton. In the regional tectonic framework, the Hengshan-Chengde HPGB is located in the central collision belt between the western block and eastern block, and represents the deep crustal structural level. The typical high-pressure granulite (HPG) outcrops are distributed in the Hengshan and Chengde areas. HPGs commonly occur as mafic xenoliths within ductile shear zones, and underwent multipile deformations. To the south, the Hengshan-Chengde HPGB is juxtaposed with the Wutai greenstone belt by several strike-slip shear zones. Preliminary isotopic age dating indicates that HPGs from North China were mainly generated at the end of the Neoarchaean, assocaited with tectonic assembly of the western and eastern blocks.

Protolith ages and timing of peak and retrograde metamorphism of the high-pressure granulites in the Shandong Peninsula,eastern North China Craton

High-pressure （HP） granulites widely occur as enclaves within tonalite-trondhjemite- granodiorite （TTG） gneisses of the Early Precambrian metamorphic basement in the Shandong Peninsula, southeast part of the North China Craton （NCC）. Based on cathodoluminescence （CL）, laser Raman spec- troscopy and in-situ U-Pb dating, we characterize the zircons from the HP granulites and group them into three main types： inherited （magmatic） zircon, HP metamorphic zircon and retrograde zircon. The inher- ited zircons with clear or weakly defined magmatic zoning contain inclusions of apatites, and 207pb/206pb ages of 2915--2890 Ma and 2763--2510 Ma, correlating with two magmatic events in the Archaean base- ment. The homogeneous HP metamorphic zircons contain index minerals of high-pressure metamor- phism including garnet, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, quartz, rutile and apatite, and yield 207pb/2066pb ages between 1900 and 1850 Ma, marking the timing of peak HP granulite facies metamorphism. The retrograde zircons contain inclusions of orthopyroxene, plagioclase, quartz, apatite and amphibole, and yield the youngest 207pb/206pb ages of 1840-1820 Ma among the three groups, which we correlate to the medium to low-pressure granulite facies retrograde metamorphism. The data presented in this study suggest subduction of Meso- and Neoarchean magmatic protoliths to lower crust depths where they were subjected to HP granulite facies metamorphism during Palaeoproterozoic （1900-1850 Ma）. Subse- quently, the HP granulites were exhumated to upper crust levels, and were ovel-printed by medium to low-pressure granulite and amphibolite facies retrograde event at ca. 1840--820 Ma.

Application of high-pressure water jet technology and the theory of rock burst control in roadway

This paper puts forward using high-pressure water jet technology to control rock burst in roadway, and analyzes the theory of controlling rock burst in roadway by the weak structure zone model. The weak structure zone is formed by using high-pressure water jet to cut the coal wall in a continuous and rotational way. In order to study the influence law of weak structure zone in surrounding rock, this paper numerically analyzed the influence law of weak structure zone, and the disturbance law of coal wall and floor under dynamic and static combined load. The results show that when the distance between high-pressure water jet drillings is 3 m and the diameter of drilling is 300 mm, continuous stress superposition zone can be formed. The weak structure zone can transfer and reduce the concentrated static load in surrounding rock, and then form distressed zone. The longer the high-pressure water jet drilling is, the larger the distressed zone is. The stress change and displacement change of non-distressed zone in coal wall and floor are significantly greater than that of distressed zone under dynamic and static combined load. And it shows that the distressed zone can effectively control rock burst in roadway under dynamic and static combined load. High-pressure water jet technology was applied in the haulage gate of 250203 working face in Yanbei Coal Mine, and had gained good effect. The study conclusions provide theoretical foundation and a new guidance for controlling rock burst in roadway.

Effects of Instantaneous High-pressure on Denaturalization of β-Lactoglobulin

[ Objective] The study aimed to explore the denaturalization law of β-Iactoglobulin （β-LG） under instantaneous high-pressure（IHP） con- dition. [Methed] Using fresh milk as testing material, effects of pressure, feed temperature and treatment time on the denaturalization of β-LG were studied via SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and sulfhydryl content detection after IHP treatment. [ Result] IHP could induce the agglomeration and depo- lymerization Of β-LG. The agglomeration of the β-LG increased with the elevated pressure from 20 to 60 MPa, but 80 MPa pressure led to depolyme- rization. The effect of feed temperature （25 -45 ℃） was similar to that of the pressure, while the influence of treatment time （2 -8 min） was not obvious. [ Conclusion] The study provided a theoretical basis for the elimination of allergens in β-LG and the application of IHP technology in milk treatment.

Gas Film Disturbance Characteristics Analysis of High-Speed and High-Pressure Dry Gas Seal

The dry gas seal（DGS） has been widely used in high parameters centrifugal compressor, but the intense vibrations of shafting, especially in high-speed condition, usually result in DGS＇s failure. So the DGS＇s ability of resisting outside interference has become a determining factor of the further development of centrifugal compressor. However, the systematic researches of which about gas film disturbance characteristics of high parameters DGS are very little. In order to study gas film disturbance characteristics of high-speed and high-pressure spiral groove dry gas seal（S-DGS） with a flexibly mounted stator, rotor axial runout and misalignment are taken into consideration, and the finite difference method and analytical method are used to analyze the influence of gas film thickness disturbance on sealing performance parameters, what＇s more, the effects of many key factors on gas film thickness disturbance are systematically investigated. The results show that, when sealed pressure is 10.1MPa and seal face average linear velocity is 107.3 m/s, gas film thickness disturbance has a significant effect on leakage rate, but has relatively litter effect on open force; Excessively large excitation amplitude or excessively high excitation frequency can lead to severe gas film thickness disturbance; And it is beneficial to assure a smaller gas film thickness disturbance when the stator material density is between 3.1 g/cm3 to 8.4 g/cm3; Ensuring sealing performance while minimizing support axial stiffness and support axial damping can help to improve dynamic tracking property of dry gas seal. The proposed research provides the instruction to optimize dynamic tracking property of the DGS.

In situ experimental study on TBM excavation with high-pressure water-jet-assisted rock breaking

China’s first high-pressure hydraulically coupled rock-breaking tunnel boring machine(TBM) was designed to overcome the rock breaking problems of TBM in super-hard rock geology, where high-pressure water jet system is configured, including high-flow pump sets, high-pressure rotary joint and high-pressure water jet injection device. In order to investigate the rock breaking performance of high-pressure water-jet-assisted TBM, in situ excavation tests were carried out at the Wan’anxi Water Diversion Project in Longyan, Fujian Province, China, under different water jet pressure and rotational speed. The rock-breaking performance of TBM was analyzed including penetration, cutterhead load, advance rate and field penetration index. The test results show that the adoption of high-pressure water-jet-assisted rock breaking technology can improve the boreability of rock mass, where the TBM penetration increases by 64% under the water jet pressure of 270 MPa. In addition, with the increase of the water jet pressure, the TBM penetration increases and the field penetration index decreases. The auxiliary rock-breaking effect of high-pressure water jet decreases with the increase of cutterhead rotational speed. In the case of the in situ tunneling test parameters of this study, the advance rate is the maximum when the pressure of the high-pressure water jet is 270 MPa and the cutterhead rotational speed is 6 r/min. The technical superiority of high-pressure water-jet-assisted rock breaking technology is highlighted and it provides guidance for the excavation parameter selection of high-pressure hydraulically coupled rock-breaking TBM.

Mechanisms and capacity of high-pressure soaking after hydraulic fracturing in tight/shale oil reservoirs

Huff-n-puff by water has been conducted to enhance oil recovery after hydraulic fracturing in tight/shale oil reservoirs.However,the mechanisms and capacity are still unclear,which significantly limits the application of this technique.In order to figure out the mechanisms,the whole process of pressurizing,high-pressure soaking,and depressurizing was firstly discussed,and a mechanistic model was established.Subsequently,the simulation model was verified and employed to investigate the significances of high-pressure soaking,the contributions of different mechanisms,and the sensitivity analysis in different scenarios.The results show that high-pressure soaking plays an essential role in oil production by both imbibition and elasticity after hydraulic fracturing.The contribution of imbibition increases as the increase in bottom hole pressure(BHP),interfacial tension,and specific surface area,but slightly decreases as the oil viscosity increases.In addition,it first decreases and then slightly increases with the increase in matrix permeability.The optimal soaking time is linear with the increases of both oil viscosity and BHP and logarithmically declines with the increase in matrix permeability and specific surface area.Moreover,it shows a rising tendency as the interficial tension(IFT)increases.Overall,a general model was achieved to calculate the optimal soaking time.

Effect of high-pressure homogenization on stability of emulsions containing zein and pectin

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of high-pressure homogenization on the droplet size and physical stability of different formulations of pectin–zein stabilized rice bran oil emulsions. The obtained emulsions, both before and after passing through highpressure homogenizer, were subjected to stability test under environmental stress conditions,that is, temperature cycling at 4 °C/40 °C for 6 cycles and centrifugal test at 3000 rpm for 10 min. Applying high-pressure homogenization after mechanical homogenization caused only a small additional decrease in emulsion droplet size. The droplet size of emulsions was influenced by the type of pectin used;emulsions using high methoxy pectin(HMP) were smaller than that using low methoxy pectin(LMP). This is due to a greater emulsifying property of HMP than LMP. The emulsions stabilized by HMP–zein showed good physical stability with lower percent creaming index than those using LMP, both before and after passing through high-pressure homogenizer. The stability of emulsions after passing through high-pressure homogenizer was slightly higher when using higher zein concentration, resulting from stronger pectin–zein complexes that could rearrange and adsorb onto the emulsion droplets.

Improving the Corrosion Resistance of ZEK100 Magnesium Alloy by Combining High-Pressure Torsion Technology with Hydroxyapatite Coating

Recently,magnesium and its alloys have attracted more and more attention as promising implant materials due to their excellent properties such as good biocompatibility,biodegradation,non-toxicity and comparable mechanical properties with natural bone.They can be gradually degraded and absorbed so as to avoid the second surgery for implants removal after the tissues are healed completely.In addition,they are also able to prevent the stress shielding effect in human body environment because of the density,elastic modulus and yield strength of magnesium closer to the bone.Unfortunately,the high corrosion rate which causes early mechanical failure of the implants in physiological environment limits the widespread use of magnesium alloys for clinical application in biology.And the high corrosion process usually causes huge hydrogen evolution and alkalinization,resulting in problems against the implants as well as the surrounding tissues.In order to enhance the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys,in this study,the ZEK100 magnesium alloy was pre-deformed with a highpressure torsion(HPT)process and then fabricated hydroxyapatite(HA)coatings with different contents of Mg(OH)2 nanopowder via hydrothermal method.The specimens were characterized by scanning electron microscope(SEM)and X-ray diffraction(XRD).At the same time,prior and after the HPT procedure,the metallography,microhardness and tensile tests of specimens were characterized.Meanwhile,the corrosion behavior of the specimens was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS)and hydrogen evolution tests.And the interface bonding strength of the HA coating on the magnesium alloy substrate was evaluated by a tape adhesion test/scratch test.Results showed that HPT processing refined the grain size and introduced a great number of twins,resulting in the enhancement of microhardness and Young’s modulus of ZEK100 magnesium alloy,but hardness values at the edge were higher than those at the center due to the uneven shear strain.At the same conditions,the HA coating on HPT-ZEK was denser,thicker than that on ZEK sample and the crystal sizes of HA were smaller on HPT-ZEK.These were attributed to fine,uniform distributed secondary phases and lots of fine grains,twins,grain boundaries in HPT-ZEK substrates which can provide more nucleation sites for the HA crystal.In terms of the amount of Mg(OH)2 nanopowder,Mg(OH)2 nanopowder significantly influenced the microstructure and thickness of the HA coating.And at a 0.3 mg/mL content of Mg(OH)2 nanopowder,there was the densest,thickest HA coating on magnesium alloys,and the crystal size of HA was minimum.Specifically,the HA coating thickness on ZEK-03(0.3 mg/mL Mg(OH)2 nanopowder)was 1.8 times of that on ZEK-00(0 mg/mL Mg(OH)2 nanopowder),while the HA coating thickness on HPT-03 was 2.6 times of that on ZEK-00.And the adhesion strength of HA coating on HPT-03 substrate was better than that on ZEK-03.In addition,HPT technology and surface modification by HA coating simultaneously increased the corrosion resistance of ZEK100 magnesium alloy and the corrosion of HPT-ZEK samples occurred in a more uniform manner,while it was pitting on the surface of ZEK100 magnesium alloy.Therefore,there was the best corrosion resistance on HPT-03 sample,which could promote the application of magnesium alloys in biomedical fields.

Effects of high-pressure heat treatment on the solid-state phase transformation and microstructures of Cu_(61.13)Zn_(33.94)Al_(4.93) alloys

The phase transformation activation energy of the Cu61.13Zn33.94A14.93 alloys, which were treated at 4 GPa and 700 ℃ for 15 minutes, was calculated by means of differential scanning calorimetry curves obtained at various heating and cooling rates. Then, the effects of high-pressure heat treatments on the solid-state phase transformation and the microstructures of Cu61.13Zn33.94A14.93 alloys were investigated. The results show that high-pressure heat treatments can refine the grains and can change the preferred orientation from （111） to （200） of α phase. Compared with the as-cast alloy, the sample with high-pressure heat treatment has finer grains, lower β＇→β and/β→β＇ transformation temperature and activation energy. Furthermore, we found that high cooling rate favours the formation of fine needle-like α phase in the range of 5-20℃/min.

Effects of ultrasound on the desulfurization performance of hot coal gas over Zn-Mn-Cu supported on semi-coke sorbent prepared by high-pressure impregnation method

Zn-Mn-Cu/SC（U） sorbent was hydrothermally synthesized by ultrasound-assisted high-pressure impregnation method with semi-coke（SC）as support and the mixed solution of zinc nitrate,manganese nitrate and copper nitrate as active component precursors.The desulfurization performances of hot coal gas on the prepared sorbent at a mid-temperature of 500°C were tested in fixed-bed reactor.Morphology and pore structure of the prepared sorbent were also characterized by TEM,N2adsorption/desorption isotherms and XRD.For comparison,the sorbent of Zn-Mn-Cu/SC prepared by conventional high-pressure impregnation was also evaluated and characterized in order to study the effects of ultrasound treatment.Zn-Mn-Cu/SC（U） sorbent prepared by high-pressure impregnation under ultrasound-assisted condition showed a better desulfurization performance than Zn-Mn-Cu/SC.It could remove H2 S from 1000×10-6m3/m3 to 0.1×10-6m3/m3 at 500°C and maintained for 12.5 h with the sulfur capacity of 7.74%,in which both the breakthrough time and sulfur capacity were about 32% and 51% higher than those of Zn-Mn-Cu/SC sorbent.The introduction of ultrasound during high-pressure impregnation process greatly improved the morphology and pore structure of the sorbent.The ultrasonic treatment made particle size of active components smaller and made them more evenly disperse on semi-coke support,which provided more opportunities to contact with H2S in coal-based gases.However,there were no any difference in compositions and existing forms of active components on the Zn-Mn-Cu/SC and Zn-Mn-Cu/SC（U） sorbents.