Simulation of Water-Resistance of a Clay Layer During Mining:Analysis of a Safe Water Head

Given previous research and prototypical geological conditions of a mining workface,we simulated fis-sure development in clay layers at the bottom of Quaternary strata and above bedrock,sand and water inrush during mining by model experiments. The results show that V-shaped fissures usually occur in the bottom clay layer at the front top of the active face and that the position of these fissures changes periodically with ground pressure intervals. These fissures occur exactly in the area where the horizontal strain is concentrated. The results also demonstrate that the permeability coefficient of the cracked clay decreases while fissures tend to close. The permeability of the cracked bottom clay layer increases rapidly after a turning point in the permeability coefficient-water head curve (K-H curve) under a certain vertical load. Under static water pressure,the permeability coefficient of cracked clay decreases when load increases. A turning point in the K-H curve showed up and can be seen as a cutoff point to de-cide water inrush under a certain load level. Under an instantaneous water head,the greatest ability of the cracked clay to avoid drastic water inflow is a little higher than that under static conditions.

Water-resistant organic thermoelectric generator with >10μW output

Flexible p–n thermoelectric generator(TEG)technology has rapidly advanced with power enhancement and size reduction.To achieve a stable power supply and highly efficient energy conversion,absolute chemical stability of n-type materials is essential to ensuring large temperature differences between device terminals and ambient stability.With the aim of improving the long-term stability of the n-type operation of carbon nanotubes(CNTs)in air and water,this study uses cationic surfactants,such as octylene-1,8-bis(dimethyldodecylammonium bromide)(12-8-12),a gemini surfactant,to stabilize the nanotubes in a coating,which retains the n-doped state for more than 28 days after exposure to air and water in experiments.TEGs with 10 p-n units of 12-8-12/CNT(n-type)and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate/CNT(p-type)layers are manufactured,and their water stability is evaluated.The initial maximum output of 16.1μW(75 K temperature difference)is retained after water immersion for 40 days without using a sealant to prevent TEG module degradation.The excellent stability of these CNT-based TEGs makes them suitable for underwater applications,such as battery-free health monitoring and information gathering systems,and facilitates the development of soft electronics.

Analysis of Water Insulating Effect of Compound Water-Resisting Key Strata in Deep Mining

The problem of water preservation in mining and the prevention of water-bursts has been one of the more important issues in deep mining. Based on the concept of water-resisting key strata, the mechanics model of the key strata is established given the structural characteristics and the mechanical properties of the roof rock layers of the working face in a particular coal mine. Four other models were derived from this model by rearranging the order of the layers in the key strata. The distribution characteristics of stress, deformation, pore pressure and the flow vector of all the models are computed using the analytical module of fluid-structure interaction in the FLAC software and the corresponding risks of a water-burst are analyzed. The results indicate that the water-insulating ability of the key strata is related to the arrangement of soft and hard rocks. The water-insulating ability of the compound water-resisting key strata (CWKS) with a hard-hard-soft-hard-soft compounding order is the best under the five given simulated conditions.

Structural motion of water-resisting key strata lying on overburden

Water-preserved mining is one of the important parts of the ‘Green Mining’ technological system. The purpose of wa-ter-preserved mining is to prevent water from bursting out in coal mines and thus to protect water resources. The principle of wa-ter-resisting key strata (WKS) is proposed to establish a model capable of guiding and developing water-preserved mining technol-ogy. The experimental model of the WKS is constructed following requirements of the Data Image Correlative Method (DICM). Five experimental schemes are designed according to different combined patterns of the WKS. The water-resisting performance of the WKS is analyzed from observation of structural stability. All of them provide referential value for water-preserved mining.

Discrimination conditions and process of water-resistant key strata

Water-preservation mining is one of the most important parts of the ‘Green Mining' technology system,which can realize the effective regulation of groundwater resources by controlling strata movement,changing passive prevention and governance of water disasters to active conservation and utilization of groundwater resources and thus obtaining coal and water simultaneously in mining.The concept of water-resistant key strata further enriches the content of the key stratum theory and provides a theoretical basis for water-preservation mining.In order to realize the idea of water-resistant key strata as a guideline in the design of water-preservation mining and engineering applications,the conditions for discrimination in the process of water-resistant key strata,we have presented a mechanical model,as well as its corresponding computer program,based on a large number of theoretical analyses and field measurements,as well as on a comprehensive consideration of the position,structural stability and seepage stability of key strata.Practical engineering applications indicate that this discrimination method and its corresponding computer program on water-resistant key strata are accurate and reliable and can satisfy the actual design needs of water-preservation mining and thus have instructional importance for water-preservation mining in mining areas lacking water.

Water-resisting ability of cemented broken rocks

Using the self-designed testing system, the seepage tests for cemented broken rocks were conducted, and the impact of different factors on water-resisting ability was analyzed. The results show that(1) seepage process of the cemented broken rocks can be divided into two categories: in one category, seepage instability occurs after a period of time, in the other, the permeability decreases slowly and tends to be stable,and seepage instability does not occur;(2) cementing performance of cementing agent and grain size distribution are the decisive factors for water-resisting ability, with the increase of cementing performance and the mass percentage of large grains, the water-resisting ability of the specimen strengthens;(3)aggregate type has little effect on seepage stability, for the specimens with different aggregate types,the permeability and the duration of seepage instability have small difference;(4) initial porosity has a certain effect on the water-resisting ability of the specimen, but has no decisive role. With the increase of the initial porosity, the duration of seepage instability decreases.

Pore structure characteristics of the relative water-resisting layer on the top of the Ordovician in Longgu Coal Mine

In order to study the permeability and water-resisting ability of the strata on the top of the Ordovician in Longgu Coal Mine, this paper tested the permeability and porosity of the strata, investigated the fracture and pore structure features of the strata, and identified the main channels which govern the permeability and water-resisting ability of the strata. The permeability of the upper, central and lower strata shows as 2.0504 × 10^-3-2.782762× 10^-3, 4.1092 × 10^-3 -7.3387 × 10^-3 and 2.0891 ×10^-3-3.2705 × 10-3 μm^2, respectively, and porosity of that is 0.6786-0.9197%, 0.3109-0.3951% and 0.9829-1.8655%, respectively. The results indicate that： （I） the main channels of the relative water-resisting layer are the pore throats with a diameter more than 6 μm; （2） the major proportion of pore throats in the vertical flow channel and the permeability first increases and then sharply decreases; （3） the fractures occurring from the top to 20 m in depth of the strata were filled and there occurred almost no fracture under the depth of 40 m; and （4） the ratio of turning point of the main flow channel in the strata on top of Ordovician can be used to confirm the thickness of filled water-resisting lavers.

Numerical analysis of the destruction of water-resisting strata in a coal seam floor in mining above aquifers

With the increase in mining depth many mining areas in China have entered a period necessitating mining above aquifers. Production safety in coal mines in northern China is under serious threat from Ordovician karst water on coal seam floors, in order to analyze the destruction of water-resisting strata in floors of coal seams being mined and to achieve safe mining above deep aquifers, we established a numerical model of water-resisting strata, considering the structural characteristics and mechanical properties of a floor layered with hard and soft rock. We simulated the distribution characteristics of deformation, failure and seepage using the analytical module of fluid-structure interaction of FLAt：. We also obtained the corresponding stress distribution, deformation and flow vectors. Our results indi- cate that： （1） the advance of the working face causes water-resisting strata in goaf floors to form a deep double-clamped beam, subject to homogeneous loading at the bottom; （2） the two sides of the rock beam are subject 1~0 shear failure; （3） both sides of the rock seam at the bottom of the water-resisting strata are subject to tension and the greater the working face advance, the more serious the failure; C4） the original balance of the stress and seepage fields are broken and redistributed due to mining activities, especially the interaction of the abutment pressure in both sides of the goal; the lateral pressure on the goal floor and the water pressure on the floor of the aquifer promote floor heave and shear failure on both sides of the floor, forming a water-inrush passage. Our study results can provide references for the mechanism of water-inrush on mine floors.

STUDIES ON TUNG OIL COATED REGENERATED CELLULOSE FILMS WITH WATERRESISTANCE

Regenerated cellulose films with water-resistance were obtained by an improved method ofpreparing cellulose cuoxam solution from pulps of agricultural wastes (linters, wheat straw, reedand Bamao). Experimental results showed that the mechanical properties of both the dry. and wetfilms were excellent. Data from IR, SEM and tensile strength measurements implied that thesignificant improvement of water-resistance of the films was due to the cohesion between the thinTung oil covers with hydrophobicity and the regenerated cellulose films. The films werecompletely biodegraded after being buried in soil for 100 days. The transmittance of the filmsderived from linter and reed in visible band range were 80-90%.

Relationship between water inrush from coal seam floors and main roof weighting

A water-resistant key strata model of a goaf floor prior to main roof weighting was developed to explore the relationship between water inrush from the floor and main roof weighting. The stress distribution,broken characteristics, and the risk area for water inrush of the water-resistant key strata were analysed using elastic thin plate theory. The formula of the maximum water pressure tolerated by the waterresistant key strata was deduced. The effects of the caved load of the goaf, the goaf size prior to main roof weighting, the advancing distance of the workface or weighting step, and the thickness of the waterresistant key strata on the breaking and instability of the water-resistant key strata were analysed.The results indicate that the water inrush from the floor can be predicted and prevented by controlling the initial or periodic weighting step with measures such as artificial forced caving, thus achieving safe mining conditions above confined aquifers. The findings provide an important theoretical basis for determining water inrush from the floor when mining above confined aquifers.

Chemical Modification of Cassava Starch by Transesterification Using Vegetable Oil/Aluminum Chloride

Chemical modification of cassava starch by transesterification of a vegetable oil(palm kernel oil)using aluminum chloride as a Lewis acid catalyst was achieved under relatively mild conditions(temperature 60–110°C;atmospheric pressure).The reaction was carried out without any additional solvent.The modified starch was characterized by degree of substitution(DS),FTIR,X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis.DS of 0.09 to 0.53 were obtained.The cassava starch presented an X-ray diffraction pattern of a type A starch.X-ray analyses showed that the reaction did not significantly affect the crystallinity of starch.The modified starch films(MStF)adsorbed less water than the reference native starch film(NStF)at all the relative humidities investigated.The MStF were also less soluble in water.The tensile tests showed an increase of the strength and a decrease of the flexibility of MStF compared to the reference NStF.The results showed that this chemical route could be used to increase the water resistance of starch-based materials.

In-situ growth of polypyrrole on aramid nanofibers for electromagnetic interference shielding films with high stability

Flexible electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding films with high stability have shown promising prospect in harsh working conditions such as military,communication,and special protection fields.Herein,flexible aramid nanofibers@polypyrrole(ANF@PPy)films with high stability were easily achieved by the in-situ growth of PPy on the surface of ANF and the subsequent pressured-filtration film-forming process.When the amount of pyrrole(Py)monomer is 40μL,the ANF@PPy(AP40)film exhibited excellent EMI shielding performance with shielding effectiveness(SE)of 41.69 dB,tensile strength of 96.01 MPa,and fracture strain of 21.95%at the thickness of 75.76μm.Particularly,the anticipated EMI shielding performance can be maintained even after being heated at 200℃in air,soaked in 3.5%NaCl solution,repeated folding for one million times,or burned directly,indicating superior environmental durability in harsh conditions.Therefore,it is believed that the ANF@PPy films with high stability offer a facile solution for practical protection for high-performance EMI shielding applications.

Acid-catalyzed crosslinking of cellulose nanofibers with glutaraldehyde to improve the water resistance of nanopaper

In this study,cellulose nanofibers(CNFs)were crossed-linked with glutaraldehyde(GA)under acid condition for tailoring the mechanical properties and water-resistance of nanopaper or films.The impact of carboxyl content of CNFs,GA concentration,temperature,pH,and reaction time on the crosslinking was investigated,and the process conditions for the crosslinking were optimized.FT-IR analyses showed that CNFs/GA cross-linked nanopaper was successfully fabricated by acetalization between the-OH groups of CNFs and the-CHO groups of GA,resulting in the formation of a dense,three-dimensional network.The elastic modulus of CNFs/GA cross-linked film was 7.66GPa,62.98%higher than that of CNFs film.The water-resistance of the cross-linked CNFs/GA films was improved.The crossed-linked CNFs/GA films was still intact after 24 h after being immersed in water,while the CNFs films almost dissolved completely after 20 min of soaking in water.This method provides a facile route to enhance the elastic modulus and water-resistance of CNFs for potential applications including bullet-proof glass interlayer,flexible electronic device,and new packing materials.

Natural polypeptides treat pollution complex： Moistureresistant multi-functional protein nanofabrics for sustainable air filtration

Development of ＂green＂ multi-functional air filters with features such as excellent filtration efficiency eco-friendliness, and environmental stability are critically required to address the increasing concerns of polluted air. Natural proteins, such as soy protein and gelatin, are attractive candidates as multi-functional air-filtration materials owing to the rich functional groups; however, these bio-materials are vulnerable to moisture, which limits their broad application in practice. In this work, a hydrophobic protein of zein derived from abundant corn is modified for the first time to produce high-performance nanofilters via electrospinning. The zein nanofabrics are fabricated with the aid of a non-toxic solvent and co-electrospinning agent, poly（ethylene oxide）. The results reveal that the zein-based nanofabrics show high efficiency for the simultaneous removal of particulate matters of different sizes ranging from 0.1 to 10 btm （〉 99.5%） and certain gaseous toxic chemicals （〉 70%）. In addition, the zein nanofabrics show excellent moisture-resistance and good adhesion to the cellulose paper towel used as the air-filter substrate. This study demonstrates that nanofabrics based on hydrophobic natural proteins such as zein are promising materials for developing multi-functional ＂green＂ air filters.

Bioinspired wet-resistant organogel for highly sensitive mechanical perception

Smart flexible electronics with underwater motion detection have become a promising research aspect in intelligent perception.Inspired by the strong adaptability of marine creatures to complex underwater environments,conventional biocompatible hydrogels are worth developing into organogels with preferred underwater adhesive properties,hydrophobic and antiswelling performance,and motion perception ability.Herein,a highly sensitive organogel sensor exhibiting good hydrophobicity,electromechanical properties,and adhesion properties was prepared for underwater utilization by regulating the chemical components and internal interactions.The synergistic effect of massive reversible noncovalent bonds ensures the organogel’s excellent underwater adhesion to multifarious substrates.Meanwhile,the interactions of hydrophobic conductive fillers and the dynamic hydrophobic associations in the organogel endow it with satisfactory hydrophobic performance(contact angle of111.8°)and antiswelling property(equilibrium swelling ratio of-31%after 15-day immersion).The fabricated flexible organogel strain sensor exhibits high sensitivity(gauge factor of1.96),ultrafast response rate(79.1 ms),low limit of detection(0.45 Pa),and excellent cyclic stability(1044 tensile cycles followed by 3981 compressive cycles).Results demonstrate the proposed organogel’s precise perception of sophisticated human motions in air and underwater,which expands its application scenarios.

Model test of the mechanism underpinning water-and-mud inrush disasters during tunnel excavation in sandstone and slate interbedded Presinian strata

Water-and-mud inrush disasters have become a major challenge in underground engineering for the construction of tunnels in sandstone and slate interbedded Presinian strata.Disaster prediction and prevention rely in part on realistic modeling and observation of the disaster process,as well as the identification and examination of the underlying mechanisms.Based on the geological conditions and the historical records of the Xinping Tunnel on the China–Laos Railway,an engineering geological model of the water-and-mud inrush was established.A physical model test that accurately reproduced water-and-mud inrush during tunnel excavation in sandstone and slate interbedded strata was also carried out.Then,testing was conducted that examined the stress and strain,seepage pressure,and high-leakage flow of the surrounding rock.The results indicated that the water-and-mud inrush proceeded through three stages:seepage stage,high-leakage flow stage,and attenuation stage.In essence,the disaster was a catastrophic process,during which the water-resistant stratum was reduced to a critical safety thickness,a water-inrush channel formed,and the water-resistant stratum gradually failed under the influence of excavation unloading and in situ stress–seepage coupling.Parameters such as the stress and strain,seepage pressure,and flow of the surrounding rock had evident stage-related features during water-and-mud inrush,and their variation indicated the formation,development,and evolution of the disaster.As the tunnel face advanced,the trend of the stress–strain curve of the surrounding rock shifted from sluggish to rapid in its speed of increase.The characteristics of strain energy density revealed the erosion and weakening effect of groundwater on the surrounding rock.The seepage pressure and the thickness of the water-resistant stratum had a positive linear relationship,and the flow and thickness a negative linear relationship.There was a pivotal point at which the seepage pressure changed from high to low and the flow shifted from low to high.The thickness of the water-resistant stratum corresponding to the pivotal point was deemed the critical safety thickness.

Exploration of sea anemone-inspired high-performance biomaterials with enhanced antioxidant activity

Antioxidant biomaterials have attracted much attention in various biomedical fields because of their effective inhibition and elimination of reactive oxygen species(ROS)in pathological tissues.However,the difficulty in ensuring biocompatibility,biodegradability and bioavailability of antioxidant materials has limited their further development.Novel bioavailable antioxidant materials that are derived from natural resources are urgently needed.Here,an integrated multi-omics method was applied to fabricate antioxidant biomaterials.A key cysteine-rich thrombospondin-1 type Ⅰ repeat-like(TSRL)protein was efficiently discovered from among 1262 adhesive components and then used to create a recombinant protein with a yield of 500 mg L^(-1).The biocompatible TSRL protein was able to self-assemble into either a water-resistant coating through Ca^(2+)-mediated coordination or redox-responsive hydrogels with tunable physical properties.The TSRL-based hydrogels showed stronger 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH)radical scavenging rates than glutathione(GSH)and ascorbic acid(Aa)and protected cells against external oxidative stress significantly more effectively.When topically applied to mice skin,TSRL alleviated epidermal hyperplasia and suppressed the degradation of collagen and elastic fibers caused by ultraviolet radiation B(UVB)irradiation,confirming that it enhanced antioxidant activity in vivo.This is the first study to successfully characterize natural antioxidant biomaterials created from marine invertebrate adhesives,and the findings indicate the excellent prospects of these biomaterials for great applications in tissue regeneration and cosmeceuticals.