Influence of superplasticizers on the early-age crack resistance of concrete

In order to improve the early-age cracking resistance of concrete, different types of superplasticizers are used. Two types of polycarboxlic salt/acid superplasticizers and one retarding naphthalene superplasticizer are selected to investigate the influence of superplasticizers on the early-age cracking resistance of the concrete by using the slab test and the temperature-stress test. The results show that the polycarboxlic salt/acid superplasticizer cannot always improve the cracking resistance capacity of the concrete compared with the naphthalene superplasticizer, which is related to the chemical structure of the polycarboxlic salt/acid superplasticizer. High plastic tensile strength and dynamic elastic modulus at the early stage are beneficial to avoid cracking, and low hydration heat is also helpful. The evolutions of the drying shrilakage stress and the hydration heat temperature stress varying with time can be comprehensively evaluated by means of the slab test and the temperature stress test.

Solid-state NMR reveals that oxygen tri-clusters make glass highly crackresistant

In a recent paper,advanced solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance(SSNMR)technology was employed to reveal the underlying mechanism contributing to the high hardness and exceptional resistance to fragmentation observed in certain special glasses[1].This study utilized SSNMR to analyze the atomic-scale internal structure of glass,enabling the quantification of the fraction of three-coordinated oxygen([^((3))O]).The research findings demonstrate a quantitative relationship between[^((3))O]and the resistance of glass to crack initiation.

Multiscale Study on Low Temperature Crack Resistance Mechanism of Steel Slag Asphalt Mixture

The objective of this paper was to study low temperature crack resistance mechanism of steel slag asphalt mixture(SAM).Thermal stress restrained specimen test(TSRST)and three-point bending test were carried out to evaluate the low-temperature crack resistance of SAM and basalt asphalt mixture(BAM).Based on the digital image correlation technique(DIC),the strain field distribution and crack propagation of SAM were analyzed from the microscopic point of view,and a new index,crack length factor(C),was proposed to evaluate the crack resistance of the asphalt mixture.The crystal phase composition and microstructure of steel slag aggregate(SA)and basalt aggregate(BA)were studied by X-ray diffraction(XRD)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)to explore the low-temperature crack resistance mechanism of SAM.Results show that the low-temperature crack resistance of SAM is better than that of BAM;SAM has good integrity and persistent elastic deformation,and its bending failure mode is a hysteretic quasi-brittle failure;The SA surface is evenly distributed with pores and has surface roughness.SA has the composition phase of alkaline aggregate-calcite(CaCO3),so it has good adhesion to asphalt,which reveals the mechanism of excellent low-temperature crack resistance of SAM.

Ghrelin regulates insulin resistance by targeting insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor via miR-455-5p in hepatic cells

Objective: To explore the mechanism by which ghrelin regulates insulin sensitivity through modulation of miR-455-5p in hepatic cells. Methods: HepG2 cells were treated with or without DAG (1 μM). Glucose consumption, intracellular glycogen content, phosphorylation of PI3K and Akt stimulated by insulin, expression of miR-455-5p, as well as IGF-1R protein level were analyzed. In addition, bioinformatic analysis, dual luciferase reporter assay, miR- 455-5p mimic or inhibitor treatment was conducted to investigate the molecular mechanisms. Results: High glucose treatment upregulated miR-455-5p expression but reduced glucose consumption and glycogen content. DAG reversed the effect of high glucose on glucose metabolism, increased protein level of IGF-1R and phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt stimulated by insulin, as well as downregulated miR-455-5p expression. Bioinformatic analysis indicated IGF-1R was the target of miR-455-5p. Dual luciferase reporter assay, as well as transfection with miR-455-5p mimic/inhibitor confirmed that DAG activated IGF-1R/PI3K/Akt signaling via inhibiting miR-455-5p. Conclusion: DAG improves insulin resistance via miR-455-5p- mediated activation of IGF-1R/PI3K/Akt system, suggesting that suppression of miR-455-5p or activation of DAG may be potential targets for T2DM therapy.

Effects of alloy elements on microstructure and crack resistance of Fe-C-Cr weld surfacing layer

Effects of alloy elements on the microstructure and crack resistance of Fe-C-Cr weld surfacing layer were investigated. The results show that microstructures of the layer mainly consist of carbides and austenite matrix. Increasing C and Cr contents impair the crack resistance of the layer due to increased amount of brittle carbides. The addition of Ni, Nb or Mo improves the crack resistance of Fe-C-Cr weld surfacing layer by increasing the amount of austenite and forming fine NbC or M 7C 3 carbides in the layer. But, the excessive Nb (>2.50wt%) or Mo (>1.88wt%) impairs the crack resistance of the layer, which has relation with increased carbides or carbide coarsening and austenite matrix solid solution strengthening. The proper combination of C, Cr, Ni, Nb and Mo can further improve not only the crack resistance of Fe-C-Cr weld surfacing layer but also the erosion resistance as a result of fine NbC and M 7C 3 carbides distributing uniformly in austenite matrix. The optimal layer compositions are 3.05wt%C, 20.58wt%Cr, 1.75wt%Ni, 2.00wt%Nb and 1.88wt%Mo.

Effect of aluminum silicate fiber modification on crack-resistance of a ceramic mould

To improve the crack-resistance of the mould for silica sol bonded quartz based ceramic mould casting,aluminum silicate fibers with the diameter ranging from 5 μm to 25 μm and the length about 1 mm were dispersed in the ceramic mould.The effect of the aluminum silicate fibers on the tensile strength,shrinkage rate and the cracking trend of the ceramic mould were investigated.In the ceramic slurry,quartz sand was applied as ceramic aggregate,silica sol containing 30% silicon dioxide as bonder,and the weight ratio of quartz sand to silica sol was 2.69;the dispersed fibers changed from 0 to 0.24vol.%.The mould samples were formed after the slurry was poured and gelled at room temperature,and then sintered at different temperatures ranging from 100 to 800 ℃ to measure the tensile strength and shrinkage rate.The results show that,with the aluminum silicate fiber addition increasing from 0 to 0.24vol.%,the tensile strength increases linearly from 0.175 MPa to 0.236 MPa,and the shrinkage rate decreases linearly from 1.75% to 1.68% for the ceramic mould sintered at 400 ℃,from 1.37% to 1.31% for the ceramic mould at room temperature.As the sintering temperature was raised from 100 ℃ to 800 ℃,the tensile strength increases,and the shrinkage rate decreases at all temperatures,compared with those without fiber dispersion,but their variation patterns remain the same.Furthermore,the cracking trend of the mould and its decreasing proportion were defined and analyzed quantitatively considering both effects of the fiber dispersion on the strength and shrinkage.The cracking trend appears to decrease linearly with increasing fiber content and to reach the maximum reduction of 28.8% when 0.24vol.% fiber was dispersed.Therefore,the investigation proposes a new method to improve the crack-resistance of the ceramic mould,i.e.,inorganic fiber dispersion into the ceramic mould.

Study of Cracking Mechanism and Wear Resistance in Laser Cladding Coating of Ni-based Alloy

Nickel-based alloy coatings were widely used for the remanufacturing of dies and moulds by laser cladding,but the crack sensitivity would be increase due to the higher strength and hardness,which reduced the wear resistance of Ni-based alloys.In this paper,Ni-based coatings with the addition of a plastic phase(an austenitic stainless net)were prepared using laser cladding technology,and the CeO_(2)was added in cladding layers.The cracking mechanism,microhardness,microstructure,phase composition,and wear properties were investigated.The relationship between thermal stress and the elastic and plastic fracture had been developed from the standpoint of fracture mechan-ics and thermal elastic fracture mechanics.The fracture criterion of the nickel-based coating was obtained,and the study has shown that the crack sensitivity could be reduced by decreasing the thermal expansion coefficientΔα.Thus,a new method was proposed,which the stainless steel nets were prefabricated on the substrate.It was found that the number of cracks reduced significantly with the addition of stainless steel net.When the stainless steel net with 14 mesh was added in Ni-based coatings,the average microhardness of nickel composite coating was 565 HV_(0.2),which was 2.6 times higher than that of the 45 steel substrate.Although the rare earth oxide 4 wt.%CeO_(2)and stainless steel net were added in the Ni-based coating reducing the microhardness(the average microhardness is 425 HV_(0.2)),the wear resistance of it improved substantially.The wear volume of Ni-based composite coating was 0.56×10^(−5) mm^(3)·N^(−1)·m^(−1),which was 85.1%lower than that of 45 steel.The experiment results have shown that the Nickel-based composite coating is equipped with low crack sensitivity and high abrasive resistance with austenitic stainless net and the rare earth oxide 4 wt.%CeO2.This research offers an efficient solution to produce components with low crack susceptibility and high wear-resistance coatings fabricated by laser cladding.

Evaluation of Cracking Resistance of Copper-Bearing Age Hardening Steel Weldment

The weldability of a low-carbon copper-bearing age hardening steel was evaluated using cracking suscepti- bility calculation, HAZ maximum hardness measurement, and Y-groove cracking evaluation test. The results show that the hardenability characteristics and cold cracking susceptibility of the steel are very low. The results also indicate that a crack-free weldment can be obtained during the welding of this type of steel even at an ambient temperature as low as -5 ℃ as well as in an absolute humidity lower than 4 000 Pa without any preheat treatment. A slight preheat treatment can prevent the joint from cracking when welding is carried out at lower ambient temperature or higher absolute humidity.

Improvement of Cracking-resistance and Flexural Behavior of Cement-based Materials by Addition of Rubber Particles

By ring test and bend test, the improvement of waste tire rubber particles on the crack- resistance and flexural behaviors of cement-based materials were investigated. Test results show that the cracking time of the ring specimens can be retarded by the incorporation of rubber particles in the cement paste and mortar. The improvement in the crack-resistance depended on the rubber fraction. When the rubber fraction was 20% in volume, the cracking time was retarded about 15 h for the paste and 24 d for the mortar respectively. Flexural properties were evaluated based on the bend test results for both mortar and concrete containing different amount of rubber particles. Test results show that rubberized mortar and concrete specimens exhibit ductile failure and significant deformation before fracture. The ultimate deformations of both mortar and concrete specimen increase more than 2-4 times than control specimens.

Preparation of High Impermeable and Crack-resistance Chemical Admixture and Its Mechanism

A kind of high impermeable and crack-resistance chemical admixture ( HICRCA) was prepared , which is a compound chemical admixture composed of an expansion ingredient, density ingredient, and organic hydrophobic poreblocking ingredient. The results of the experiments indicate that the addition of HICRCA improves mortar and concrete in the following performances: (1) perfect workability: slump is more than 22cm, theslump afar 3h is about 16cm; (2) high impermeability:for the mortar, the pervious height under a water pressure of 1.5MPa is 1.5cm,for the concrete, the pervious height under a water pressure of 5.0MPa is 2. 2cm;(3) high crack-resistance: there is a micro-expansion at the age of 90d; (4) high compressivestrength: compared with the controlled concrete, the compressive strengths at the age of 3d and 2Sd are improved by 66.4% and 62.0% , respectively. At the same time, the effects of different curing condition on mortar and concrete expansive andshrinkage performance were studied. In addition, the impermeable and crack-resistance mechanism, was investigatedin the present paper.

Corrosion Resistance of Steel in Cracked Reinforced Concrete after Electro-depositon Treatment

An electro-deposition method has been recently proposed to repair cracked reinforced concrete. To evaluate the corrosion resistance of the reinforcing steel in cracked concrete, three different parameters including type of auxiliary electrode, electrode distance, and current density were studied. Tafel polarization curve was used to evaluate the corrosion resistance of the steel. Self-corrosion potential and corrosion current of the steel were tested. The results indicate that the corrosion resistance improvement of the reinforcing steel is optimal as prism titanium mesh is applied as auxiliary electrode, followed by the flaky titanium mesh and the column titanium bar. When the electrode distance is 60 mm, the corrosion resistance improvement of the reinforcing steel is optimal, and with 80 mm electrode distance, the corrosion resistance improvement is the poorest. The property falls in between them when 40 mm electrode distance is used. Moreover, the corrosion resistance improvement of the reinforcing steel increases as the current density goes up.

A review on evaluation of crack resistance of asphalt mixture by semi-circular bending test

Although there are many kinds of fracture tests to choose from in evaluating the crack resistance of asphalt mixture,the semi-circular bending(SCB)test has attracted a lot of attention in the academic road engineering community because of its simplicity,stability,and flexibility in testing and evaluation.The SCB test has become a common method to study the cracking resistance of asphalt mixture in recent years.This paper mainly summarizes the overview of the SCB test,summarizes some research results and common characterization parameters of the SCB test method in monotone test and fatigue test in recent years,and predicts and suggests the research direction of the SCB test in the future.It is found that the research on the monotonic SCB test is more comprehensive,and the research on the SCB fatigue test needs to be further improved in the aspects of loading mode,characterization parameter selection,and so on.Researchers can flexibly adjust the geometric dimensions and the test parameters of semi-cylindrical specimens,and conduct comprehensive analysis combined with the results of numerical simulation.The crack resistance of asphalt mixture can be comprehensively evaluated by fracture energy,fracture toughness,stiffness,flexibility index and other fracture indicators,combined with the crack propagation of the specimen.The analysis of numerical simulation can confirm the test results.In order to standardize the setting of fatigue parameters for future application,it is necessary to standardize the setting of bending performance.

ROUGHNESS-INDUCED SHEAR RESISTANCE OF MODE Ⅱ CRACK GROWTH

It is obtained in this paper that the fatigue threshold value of mode H was 1.9 times of that of mode Ⅰ in dual-phase steel(DPS),and the normal stress intensity factor range oJ mode Ⅱ branch crack tip was 2.2 times of that of mode Ⅰ.Above results illustrate that the resistance of mode Ⅱ crack growth was higher than that of mode Ⅰ,the former resulting from roughness-induced shear resistance,the latter,crack closure. The mode Ⅱ component can play two important roles in near-threshold fatigue crack growth:(1)increasing crack tip plasticity which accelerates the crack growth and(2)intro- ducing crack surface contact and rubbing to reduce the crack propagation rate.By means of crack closure,the quantity of shear resistance was easily solved in this paper.The friction shear stress strength factor range of mode Ⅱ,K_,is still much higher than the closure stress strength factor range of mode Ⅰ,K_(Ⅰ,cl).This illustrated that the roughness enlarged the second role and played a role of shielding crack tip from mode Ⅱ crack.

Environmental Stress Cracking Resistance of Halloysite Nanoclay-Polyester Nanocomposites

The environmental stress cracking resistance of halloysite nanoclay-polyester nanocomposites was investigated using fracture mechanics approach. The incorporation of halloysite nanoclay was found to improve the environmental stress cracking resistance of the nano-composites. The storage modulus of nano-composites measured by dynamic mechanical analysis increased remarkably as a function of halloysite nanoclay content. At 0.7 wt% nanoclay, the Tg improved from 72°C to 76°C. The fracture toughness increased up to 33% and time to failure improved 155% with the addition of 0.7 wt% of halloysite nanoclay. The maximum microhardness was found 119% higher for the same nano-filler concentration compared to monolithic polyester. The reinforcement with 1 wt% showed lower fracture toughness due to agglomerations of nanoclay which act as flaws. The presence of agglomerates weakened the bond between nano-particles and matrix hence reduces the environmental stress cracking resistance by halloysite nanoclay reinforcement.

Cyclic Elasto-Plastic Fracture Diagram and Some Parameters of Cyclic Crack Growth Resistance for the Plastic Steels

Method of calculation and experimental estimation of crack growth resistance under cyclic elastoplastic deformation is proposed. This method is based on measuring of local plastic strain near the crack tip and plotting the cyclic elasto-plastic fracture diagram for a specimen with a crack. Analysis of two types of the cyclic elasto-plastic fracture diagrams and their parameters is made. Ex-perimental D-diagrams of cyclic elasto-plastic fracture for the plastic carbon steel are given.

Effects of silicon content on microstructure and stress corrosion cracking resistance of 7050 aluminum alloy

Evolution of microstructure and stress corrosion cracking （SCC） susceptibility of 7050 aluminum alloy with 0.094%, 0.134% and 0.261% Si （mass fraction） in T7651 condition have been investigated. The results show that the area fraction of Mg2Si increases from 0.16% to 1,48% and the size becomes coarser, while the area fraction of the other coarse phases including Al2CuMg, Mg（Al,Cu,Zn）2 and A17Cu2Fe decreases from 2.42% to 0.78% with Si content increasing from 0.094% to 0.261%. The tensile strength and elongation of 7050-T7651 alloys is decreased with the increase of Si content by slow strain rate test （SSRT） in ambient air. However, electrical conductivity is improved and SCC susceptibility is reduced with the increase of Si content by SSRT in corrosion environment with 3.5% NaCl solution.

Genetic Study on JS399-19 Resistance in Hyphal Fusion of Fusarium graminearum by Using Nitrate Nonutilizing Mutants as Genetic Markers

Twenty-two nitrate nonutilizing （nit） mutants were recovered from five wild-type isolates of Fusarium graminearum and fifty nit mutants were recovered from three JS399-19-resistant mutants of F. graminearum cultured on MMC medium. Some biological properties were compared between nit mutants and their parental isolates. The results showed that there were no significant differences in growth rate, cultural characters or pathogenicity between JS399-19-resistant nit mutants and their parental isolates. But the conidial production and the sexual reproduction ability changed to some extent. There was no cross resistance toward chlorate and JS399-19 in F. graminearum and the resistance could be stable through 20-time subcultures. Therefore, the nit could be used as a genetic marker for studying the genetics of JS399-19 resistance in E graminearum, which was used to study JS399-19 resistance transferability in hyphal fusion. Resistance in JS399-19 could not be transferred by hyphal fusion or could be transferred with low chance between two compatible isolates, which would delay the development of JS399-19 resistance in the field.

Effect of Rare Earth Elements on Quenching Crack Resistance of Steel 9Cr2Mo

The effect of rare earth elements on quenching crack resistance of steel 9Cr2Mo was investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy. Experimental results show that, by adding RE elements to steel 9Cr2Mo, the number of quenching for crack initiation is increased. Meanwhile the propagation of quenching cracks is postponed and the paths of crack propagation are changed. Therefore, quenching crack resistance can be improved by adding RE elements to steel 9Cr2Mo.

Effect of RE on Cracking Resistance and Microstructure of Coatings Formed by Plasma Jet Surface Metallurgy

Metallurgical coatings of iron-based alloy with RE oxide were prepared on low-carbon steel using a home-made DC-plasma jet surface metallurgy equipment. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) were employed to observe the microstructure and analyze the chemical compositions of coatings. And the cracking susceptibility of coatings was studied in terms of RE addition. Experimental results show that addition of RE oxide (La_2O_3 and CeO_2) can refine and purify the microstructure, and can reduce the cracking susceptibility of coatings.

Activity of the Fungicide JS399-19 Against Fusarium Head Blight of Wheat and the Risk of Resistance

This report reviews the characteristics of JS399-19, a novel cyanoacrylate fungicide. JS399-19 strongly inhibits the mycelial growth of the fungal plant pathogens of the genus Fusarium and exhibits great potential in controlling Fusarium head blight （FHB） on wheat and other cereals. The mode of action of JS399-19 is evidently different from that of benzimidazole （for example, carbendazim） and other sort of fungicides, making it a possible replacement for carbendazim in China to manage carbendazim-resistant subpopulations of Fusarium graminearum and F. asiaticum. JS399-t9 has excellent protective and curative activity against these pathogens. Incorrect use of this fungicide, however, is likely to select for resistance. Among JS399-19-resistant mutants of F. asiaticum induced in the laboratory, the resistant level of mutants was high and the phenotype of resistance against JS399-19 was conferred by a major gene by genetic analysis. The fitness of laboratory-induced JS399-19-resistant mutants of F. asiaticum was nearly equal to that of their parents. JS399-19 lacks cross resistance with other sort fungicides. To control FHB with JS399-19 and to delay the development of the fungicide-resistance, farmers should use tank mixtures containing JS399-19 and carbendazim, metconazole, tebuconazole, or prothioconazole.