Research on deepwater synthetic drilling fluid and its low temperature rheological properties

With the rapid development of deepwater drilling operations,more and more complex technical challenges have to be faced due to the rigorous conditions encountered.One of these challenges is that the drilling fluid used must had good rheological properties at low temperatures and high ability to inhibit hydrate formation.Synthetic drilling fluid has been widely applied to deepwater drilling operations due to its high penetration rate,excellent rheological properties,good ability to prevent hydrate formation,and high biodegradability.A synthetic drilling fluid formulation was developed in our laboratory.The rheological properties of this drilling fluid at low temperatures （0-20 °C） were tested with a 6-speed viscometer and its ability to inhibit hydrate formation was evaluated at 20 MPa CH 4 gas and 0 °C by differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）.Several factors influencing the low temperature rheological properties of this synthetic drilling fluid were studied in this paper.These included the viscosity of the base fluid,the amount of CEMU and organic clay,and the water volume fraction.

Rheological properties of warm mix asphalt binder by DSR test at medium temperature

The rheological properties including the complex modulus G＊ and the phase angle δof matrix and warm mix asphalt （WMA）binders were measured by using the dynamic shear rheometer （DSR ） test at the medium temperature ranging from 16 to 40 ℃,and the relationships between the fatigue factor G＊ sinδand the matrix binder property,WMA additive and test temperature were established.It is found that G＊ decreases with the increasing temperature while δincreases inversely,and G＊ of the asphalt binder with high WMA additive dosage is large,and δis small.G＊sinδexponentially decreases with the increasing temperature and linearly increases with the increase in additive dosage,and the amplitudes of variation are large at low temperatures and high additive dosages.The effect of WMA additive on the rheological property is more remarkable for the matrix asphalt binder with low G＊.Besides,aging has a great effect on the property of matrix asphalt binder,and a slight effect on the interaction between asphalt and additive.The high additive dosage can increase the fatigue cracking potential of the asphalt binder.

Rheological properties of low consistency TMP from thinning wood of Chinese Fir

The rheological behavior of low consistency thermomechanical pulp of Chinese fir harvested by intermediate thinning was analyzed. The results show that the apparent viscosity of pulp changed along with the beating degree, pulp consistency and shearing velocity. With the increasing of pulp consistency, the apparent viscosity of pulp increased gradually. Beating degree of pulp had an effect on microstructure of pulp. The apparent viscosity of pulp declined as beating degree of pulp increased, and the apparent viscosity of pulp fell along with the shearing velocity increasing. Based on the results, the rheological models are set up. The models showed that the fluid types of the low consistency pulp could be described as pseudoplastics fluids （non-Newtonian fluids）.

Mechanical properties of Mg-6Gd-1Y-0.5Zr alloy processed by low temperature thermo-mechanical treatment

An as-solution treated Mg-6Gd-1Y-0.4Zr alloy was processed by low temperature thermo-mechanical treatments （LT-TMT）, including cold tension with various strains followed by aging at 200 °C to peak hardness. The results show that the precipitation kinetics of the alloy experienced LT-TMT is greatly accelerated and the aging time to peak hardness is greatly decreased with increasing tensile strain. The tensile yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation at room temperature of the alloy after cold tension with strain of 10% and peak aging at 200 °C are 251 MPa, 296 MPa and 8%, respectively, which are superior to the commercial heat-resistant WE54 alloy, although the latter has a higher rare earth element content.

Effects of low temperature on properties of structural steels

The experiments were carried out to measure the mechanical properties ofthree grades of structural steels (Q235A, 16Mn and Q390E steel) at low temperature. It was shownthat the strength of the steels increases while the plasticity and toughness decrease as temperaturedrops. In the transitional area the toughness drops rapidly with temperature. Among the threestructural steels, Q390E steel has the best toughness and the lowest sensitivity.

Mechanical properties and fracture toughness of rail steels and thermite welds at low temperature

Brittle fracture occurs frequently in rails and thermite welded joints, which intimidates the security and reliability of railway ser- vice. Railways in cold regions, such as Qinghai-Tibet Railway, make the problem of brittle fi＇acture in rails even worse. A series of tests such as uniaxial tensile tests, Charpy impact tests, and three-point bending tests were carried out at low temperature to investigate the mechanical properties and fracture toughness of U71Mn and U75V rail steels and their thermite welds. Fracture micromechanisms were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） on the fracture surfaces of the tested specimens. The ductility indices （percentage elongation aider frac- ture and percentage reduction of area） and the toughness indices （Charpy impact energy Ak and plane-strain fracture toughness Kic） of the two kinds of rail steels and the corresponding thermite welds all decrease as the temperature decreases. The thermite welds are more critical to fracture than the rail steel base metals, as indicated by a higher yield-to-ultimate ratio and a much lower Charpy impact energy. U71Mn rail steel is relatively higher in toughness than U75V, as demonstrated by larger Ak and Klc values. Therefore, U71Mn rail steel and the corresponding thermite weld are recommended in railway construction and maintenance in cold regions.

Rheological properties of oil-based drilling fluids at high temperature and high pressure

The rheological properties of two kinds of oil-based drilling fluids with typically composition were studied at pressures up to 138 MPa and temperatures up to 204 ℃ using the RheoChan 7400 Rheometer.The experimental results show that the apparent viscosity,plastic viscosity and yield point decrease with the increase of temperature,and increase with the increase of pressure.The effect of pressure on the apparent viscosity,plastic viscosity and yield point is considerable at ambient temperature.However,this effect gradually reduces with the increase of temperature.The major factor influencing the rheological properties of oil-based drilling fluids is temperature instead of pressure in the deep sections of oil wells.On the basis of numerous experiments,the model for predict the apparent viscosity,plastic viscosity and yield point of oil-based drilling fluids at high temperature and pressure was established using the method of regressive analysis.It is confirmed that the calculated data are in good agreement with the measured data,and the correlation coefficients are more than 0.98.The model is convenient for use and suitable for the application in drilling operations.

Effects of temperatures and pH values on rheological properties of cemented paste backfill

In this study,different influence mechanisms associated with temperatures and pH values were investigated through cemented paste backfill(CPB)systems.CPB samples were prepared with temperatures ranging from 10 to 50℃ in 10℃ increments and pH values of 3,7,and 13.Then,the CPB mixture were subjected to rheological tests,thermogravimetric analysis(TG),derivative thermogravimetry analysis(DTG),Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).Results demonstrated that the temperatures had significant effects on the rheological properties of CPB,whereas the effects of pH values were relatively unapparent.Higher temperatures(over 20℃)were prone to bring higher shear stress,yield stress,and apparent viscosity with the same pH value condition.However,an overly high temperature(50℃)cannot raise the apparent viscosity.Non-neutral conditions,for pH values of 3 and 13,could strengthen the shear stress and apparent viscosity at the same temperature.Two different yield stress curves could be discovered by uprising pH values,which also led to apparent viscosity of two various curves under the same temperatures(under 50℃).Microscopically,rheological properties of CPB were affected by temperatures and pH values which enhanced or reduced the cement hydration procedures,rates,products and space structures.

Effect of low temperature aging on microstructure and mechanical properties of super-high strength aluminum alloy

The effects of heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of two alloys, namely Al-12.2%Zn-2.48%Cu-2.0%Mg-0.15%Zr-0.166%Ag（alloy 1）, and Al-9.99%Zn-1.72%Cu-2.5%Mg- 0.13%Zr （alloy 2） were investigated. The results show that low temperature aging after promotive solution treatment can increase elongation without the loss of strength for the studied alloys. The optimum aging treatment （T6） for alloy 1 and alloy 2 is 100℃/80h and 100℃/48h, respectively. Compared with other heat treatment alloys, alloy 1 and alloy 2 show super-high tensile strength up to 753MPa and 788MPa, remaining 9.3% and 9.7% elongation under T6 condition, respectively. During aging, trace addition of Ag enhances the formations of GP zone and metastable phase, and stabilizes GP zone and metastable phase to a higher temperature. Trace addition of Ag prolongs the aging time of reaching the peak strength and delays over-aging condition of the alloy. However, trace addition of Ag promotes the formation of coarse constituent in the alloy and consumes hardening alloying elements of Zn and Mg. Moreover, the addition of the transition element Zr in 7000 series super-high alloy forms incoherent Al3Zr dispersoid which can serve as nucleation sites for nonuniform precipitation of η phase during aging process. The higher the aging temperature, the greater the tendency for nonuniform precipitation of η phase.

Experimental evaluation on high temperature rheological properties of various fiber modified asphalt binders

High temperature rheological properties of fiber modified asphalt binders and impact of the type and content on such properties were studied.Three types of fiber,including polyester(PET),polyacrylonitrile(PAN) and cellulose(CEL),a control content(0%) and four levels of fiber content(2%,4%,6% and 8% by total asphalt binder mass) were used with asphalt binders.The high temperature rheological properties,consisting of complex modulus(G*) and phase angle δ,were measured using SHRP's dynamic shear rheometer(DSR) between 46-82 ℃.Experimental results indicate that the changes of G* and tan δ of fiber modified asphalt binders with the increase of test temperature tend to slow down,and the temperature susceptibility is improved obviously compared to that of original asphalt binder.Fiber modification results in the increase of rutting parameter(G*/sin δ) at high temperatures,the decrease of temperature susceptibility,and further improved high temperature performance of asphalt binder.An excellent correlation exhibits between fiber content and high temperature performance of asphalt binder.Moreover,fiber type also has different influences on the improvement of G*/sin δ,G*/sin δ of PET and PAN fiber asphalt binders are both higher than that of CEL fiber,but G*/sin δ of CEL fiber is still higher than that of original asphalt.However,there is a critical fiber content when fibers start to interact with each other.Therefore,based on the critical fiber content and economic consideration,the optimum fiber contents for various fiber-modified asphalt binders are obtained.

IMPROVEMENT OF MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF MARTENSITIC STAINLESS STEEL BY PLASMA NITRIDING AT LOW TEMPERATURE

A series of experiments were carried out to study the influence of low temperature plasma nitriding on the mechanical properties of AISI 420 martensitic stainless steel. Plasma nitriding experiments were carried out for 15 h at 350℃ by means of DC- pulsed plasma in 25%N2＋ 75%H2 atmosphere. The microstructure, phase composition, and residual stresses profiles of the nitrided layers were determined by optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The microhardness profiles of the nitridied surfaces were also studied. The fatigue life, sliding wear, and erosion wear loss of the untreated specimens and plasma nitriding specimens were determined on the basis of a rotating bending fatigue tester, a ball-on-disc wear tester, and a solid particle erosion tester. The results show that the 350℃ nitrided surface is dominated by c-Fe3N and ON, which is supersaturated nitrogen solid solution. They have high hardness and chemical stabilities. So the low temperature plasma nitriding not only increases the surface hardness values but also improves the wear and erosion resistance. In addition, the fatigue limit of AISI 420 steel can also be improved by plasma nitriding at 350℃ because plasma nitriding produces residual compressive stress inside the modified layer.

Effect of low temperature thermo-mechanical treatment on microstructures and mechanical properties of TC4 alloy

The effects of low temperature thermo-mechanical treatment （LTTMT） on microstructures and mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-4V （TC4） alloy were studied by optical microscopy （OM）, tensile test, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The experimental results confirm that the strength of TC4 alloy can be improved obviously by LTTMT processing, which combines strain strengthening with aging strengthening. The effect of LTTMT on the alloy depends on the microstructure of the refined and dispersed a＋fl phase on the basis of high dislocation density by pre-deformation below recrystallization temperature. The tensile strength decreases with the increase of pre-deformation reduction. The optimal processing parameters of LTTMT for TC4 alloy are as follows： solution treatment at 900 ℃ for 15 min, pre-deformation in the range of 600-700 ℃ with a reduction of 35%, finally aging at 540 ℃ for 4 h followed by air-cooling.

Piezoelectric properties of low loss and high Curie temperature (Bi, La)FeO_3-Pb(Ti, Mn)O_3 ceramics with Mn doping

Piezoelectric ceramics of 0.6(Bi0.9La0.1)FeO3-0.4Pb(Ti1-xMnx)O3 (BLF-PTM) for x=0, 0.01, 0.02, and 0.03 were prepared by sol-gel process combined with a solid-state reaction method. The tan? for BLF-PTM of x=0.01 is just 0.006 at 1 kHz, drastically decreasing by using Mn dopants. The TC increases to 490 ℃ for BLF-PTM of x=0.02. Furthermore, Mn modification effectively enhances the poling state and the piezoelectric properties of BLF-PTM. The kp, Qm, d33, and g33 of 0.34, 403, and 124 pC1·N-1 and 37×10-3 Vm·N-1 are achieved for BLF-PTM of x=0.01. The results indicate that Mn modified BLF-PTM is a competitive high power and high temperature piezoelectric material with excellent piezoelectric properties.

Preparation of polythiophene/WO_3 organic-inorganic hybrids and their gas sensing properties for NO_2 detection at low temperature

Polythiophene/WO3（PTP/WO3）organic-inorganic hybrids were synthesized by an in situ chemical oxidative polymerization method,and char- acterized by X-ray diffraction（XRD）,transmission electron microscopy（TEM）and thermo-gravimetric analysis（TGA）.The Polythiophene/ WO3 hybrids have higher thermal stability than pure polythiophene,which is beneficial to potential application as chemical sensors.Gas sensing measurements demonstrate that the gas sensor based on the Polythiophene/WO3 hybrids has high response and good selectivity for de- tecting NO2 of ppm level at low temperature.Both the operating temperature and PTP contents have an influence on the response of PTP/WO3 hybrids to NO2.The 10 wt%PTP/WO3 hybrid showed the highest response at low operating temperature of 70-C.It is expected that the PTP/WO3 hybrids can be potentially used as gas sensor material for detecting the low concentration of NO2 at low temperature.

Tensile properties and fracture surface of 07MnNiCrMoVDR steel welded joint at low temperature

The tensile properties and fracture surface of 07MnNiCrMoVDR steel welded joint at low temperature have been studied by universal testing machine and scanning electron microscope. The results show that the tensile properties of 07MnNiCrMoVDR steel welded joint are greatly affected by temperature. Tensile strength and yield strength of 07MnNiCrMoVDR steel welded joint increase, but elongation and reduction of area decrease with temperature decreasing. The macro-fracture of 07 MnNiCrMoVDR steel welded joint exhibits that the shear lip is not significant and micro-fracture makes up of dimpled fracture and tear fracture, and dimple becomes tiny and uniform with temperature decreasing.

Preparation and Properties of Sintered Corundum at Low Temperatures with Nano-η-Al2O3 Powder

In order to reduce the sintering temperature and improve the properties of sintered corundum,corundum specimens were prepared by granulation and sintering with nano-η-A l203 as the raw material and polyvinyl alcohol as the binder.The effects of different sintering temperatures(1550,1600,1650 and 1700℃)and holding time(2,4 and 6 h)on the properties and microstructures of the specimens were studied,and the transformation mechanism ofη-Al203 was analyzed.The results show that dense sintered corundum with bulk density of 3.74 g/cm^3 and apparent porosity of 1.77%is obtained by calcinating at 1650℃for 6 h;the phase transition fromη-Al203 toα-Al203 occurs first on the surface of alumina particles and then diffuses rapidly to the interior;at lower sintering temperatures there is no abnormal growth of crystals,the bonding between the grains is tight,transgranular fracture is the main fracture mode,there are fewer intergranular pores,and the grain size is in the range of 3.5-7.5μm.

High Temperature Rheological Performance of Graphene Modified Rubber Asphalt

To elucidate the high temperature rheological capability of graphene modified rubber asphalt,three contents of graphene and crumb rubber were prepared by a combination of mechanical agitation and high speed shearing machine,then used dynamic shear rheological test(DSR)and multiple stress creep recovery(MSCR)tests to evaluate.The hardness and softening point with rotational viscosity of samples raised with the addition of graphene,especially the addition of 0.04%.Dynamic shear rheological test revealedthat the dynamic shear modulus G*,rutting factor G*/Sin δ,and zero shear viscosity(ZSV)of graphene-modified rubber asphalt were greatly influenced along with graphene-increased,on the contrary,phase angle δ which characterize the viscoelastic ratio of asphalt decreased.Multiple stress creep recovery(MSCR)tests showed that the graphene-enhanced rubber asphalt had high-temperature stability through non-recoverable creep compliance(Jnr).Based on these findings,graphene-modified rubber asphalt binders with the addition of 0.04% graphene had good viscoelastic properties as well as high temperature rutting resistance performance.In the meantime,G*/Sin δ,ZSV,and Jnr100,Jnr3200 have good correlation,which can reveal the excellent high-temperature stability performance of asphalt.

Structure and properties of CIGS films based on one-stage RF-sputtering process at low substrate temperature

Currently, Nanjing South Railway Stationplanning to implement slate roof renovation is integratingsolar cell modules into traditional roof materials to generateclean energy. Copper–indium–gallium diselenide（CuIn1-xGaxSe2, CIGS） is one of the most promisingmaterials for thin film solar cells. Cu（In1-xGax）Se2 filmswere deposited by a one-step radio frequency magnetronsputtering process at low substrate temperature. X-raydiffraction, Raman, scanning electron microscopy, energydispersiveX-ray spectroscopy, and electrical and opticalmeasurements were carried out to investigate the depositedfilms. The results reveal that a temperature of 320 C iscritical for near-stoichiometric CIGS films with uniformsurface morphology. Cu-rich phase particulates are foundat less than this temperature. The sample deposited at380 C gives well-crystalline single-phase CIGS film.Furthermore, the electrical and optical performances of theabsorber layer are improved significantly with theincreasing substrate temperature.

Thickening and Rheological Properties of Crystalline Polyester Used in Low Pressure Sheet Molding Compounds

Low pressure sheet molding compound （LPMC,1.0-3.0 MPa,95-103 ℃） is a new kind of thermosetting material with crystalline polyester as a physical thickenner.LPMC is different from conventional SMC using an earth oxide thickening agent （e.g.MgO） as chemical thickenner,it relies on the physical thickening of crystalline polyester.Crystalline polyester resin is the key material to mold LPMC parts.Currently there was no report about the thickening mechanism of crystalline polyester in LPMC.In this article,crystalline polyester resins,whose melting points were between 45 ℃ and 89 ℃,were synthesized by a two-step esterification.The melt points of crystalline polyesters are controlled by regulating the mol ratio of the two glycols and the two acids.And by means of varying the content of crystalline polyester resin,the thickening effect on resin paste is investigated.In addition,the thickening mechanism of crystalline polyester in LPMC was investigated by FTIR and DSC analysis.The effects of the diameters and viscosity of crystalline polyester on the rheological property and fiber distribution of LPMC sheets were studied,too.Results show that the thickening effect is excellent when the weight content of crystalline polyester resin is 3%.And there exists three kinds of functions acting in the process of thickening：swelling,hydrogen bonds and induction crystallization.During the preparing process of resin paste in LPMC,the temperature of resin paste must be kept at 90 ℃.In addition,crystalline polyester make LPMC have a perfect fluid property.When the viscosity of LPMC sheet is beyond 1 kPa s,the fiber orientation is not obvious.But when the viscosity of LPMC sheet is about 500 Pa s,the fiber shows a certain degree of orientation.Moreover the study of physical and chemical thickening mechanism of crystalline polyester and the rheological discipline of LPMC sheets in the hot mould will provide the researchers and enterprises with theory guidance.

Synthesis of Organic Modified SiC_w/PVDF Composite Membrane and Its Dielectric Properties under Low Temperature

Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide(CTAB) was incorporated into silicon carbide whiskers(SiCw) to improve their hydrophobicity. The solution casting method was employed to develop composite membranes of polyvinylidene fluoride(CTAB-SiCw/PVDF) with different feed ratios. FT-IR spectroscopic studies proved that CTAB was successfully incorporated into the SiCw. SiCw phase structure was maintained after modification by CTAB according to XRD results. SEM studies indicated that the surface became smoother with CTAB dispersal in the PVDF membrane. The dielectric properties of the composite membranes containing various amounts of CTAB-SiCw were measured at low temperature. It was found that the dielectric constant of the composite membranes with 13.0 wt% whiskers reached a maximum value of 25 at low frequency, and decreased to nine at high frequency(from 500 Hz to 1 MHz) at 0 ℃. The dielectric loss of each composite membrane increased with increasing temperature and reached a maximum value. The value shifted with corresponding frequency increases. In addition, the dielectric loss reached a maximum value of 0.2 when 16.7 wt% of CTAB-SiCw was fed at each frequency(from-30 ℃ to 10 ℃). At room temperature, the dielectric constant could be maintained at 42 and the loss factor decreased to 0.8 at 100 Hz when 13.0 wt% of CTABSiCw was incorporated. Additionally, TGA experiments indicated that the decomposition temperature of a PVDF membrane was increased by 10 ℃ and its heat resistance was improved by adding 13.0 wt% of CTAB-SiCw. This PVDF composite membrane has potential for use as an insulator and capacitor.