A 3D discrete model for soil desiccation cracking in consideration of moisture diffusion

Soil desiccation cracking is a common phenomenon on the earth surface.Numerical modeling is an effective approach to study the desiccation cracking mechanism of soil.This work develops a novel 3D moisture diffusion discrete model that is capable of dynamically assessing the effect of cracking on moisture diffusion and allowing moisture to be discontinuous on both sides of the cracks.Then,the parametric analysis of the moisture exchange coefficient in the 3D moisture diffusion discrete model is carried out for moisture diffusion in continuous media,and the selection criterion of the moisture exchange coefficient for the unbroken cohesive element is given.Subsequently,an example of moisture migration in a medium with one crack is provided to illustrate the crack hindering effect on moisture migration.Finally,combining the 3D moisture diffusion discrete model with the finite-discrete element method(FDEM),the moisture diffusion-fracture coupling model is built to study the desiccation cracking in a strip soil and the crack pattern of a rectangular soil.The evolution of crack area and volume with moisture content is quantitatively analyzed.The modeling number and average width of cracks in the strip soil show a good consistency with the experimental results,and the crack pattern of the rectangular soil matches well with the existing numerical results,validating the coupled moisture diffusion-fracture model.Additionally,the parametric study of soil desiccation cracking is performed.The developed model offers a powerful tool for exploring soil desiccation cracking.

Microstructure effect of mechanical and cracking behaviors on brittle rocks using image-based fast Fourier transform method

The internal microstructures of rock materials, including mineral heterogeneity and intrinsic microdefects, exert a significant influence on their nonlinear mechanical and cracking behaviors. It is of great significance to accurately characterize the actual microstructures and their influence on stress and damage evolution inside the rocks. In this study, an image-based fast Fourier transform (FFT) method is developed for reconstructing the actual rock microstructures by combining it with the digital image processing (DIP) technique. A series of experimental investigations were conducted to acquire information regarding the actual microstructure and the mechanical properties. Based on these experimental evidences, the processed microstructure information, in conjunction with the proposed micromechanical model, is incorporated into the numerical calculation. The proposed image-based FFT method was firstly validated through uniaxial compression tests. Subsequently, it was employed to predict and analyze the influence of microstructure on macroscopic mechanical behaviors, local stress distribution and the internal crack evolution process in brittle rocks. The distribution of feldspar is considerably more heterogeneous and scattered than that of quartz, which results in a greater propensity for the formation of cracks in feldspar. It is observed that initial cracks and new cracks, including intragranular and boundary ones, ultimately coalesce and connect as the primary through cracks, which are predominantly distributed along the boundary of the feldspar. This phenomenon is also predicted by the proposed numerical method. The results indicate that the proposed numerical method provides an effective approach for analyzing, understanding and predicting the nonlinear mechanical and cracking behaviors of brittle rocks by taking into account the actual microstructure characteristics.

Development and Performance Evaluation of Catalyst for Productive Ethylene Cracking Feedstock in Selective Hydrocracking of Straight Run Diesel Oil

The upgrading of diesel oil to produce ethylene rich cracking feedstock is an important and promising technical route to reduce the ratio of diesel to gasoline. In the present work, a hydrocracking catalyst suitable for selective hydrocracking of straight run diesel oil to produce high-quality ethylene cracking feedstock at low cost was developed, by optimizing the composition of catalyst support materials, using amorphous silicon aluminum and aluminum oxide with high mesopore content as the main support, and modified Y zeolite with excellent aromatic ring opening selectivity as the acidic component. The catalyst has in-depth characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, N2-low temperature adsorption-desorption, NH3-temperature-programmed desorption, and IR techniques. And its catalytic cracking straight run diesel oil performance was evaluated. The results show that the prepared catalyst has high polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ring opening cracking selectivity. However, alkanes retained in diesel distillates can achieve the goal of producing more ethylene cracking feedstocks with low BMCI value under low and moderate pressure conditions. This work may shed significant technical insight for oil refining transformation.

Strategy of changing cracking furnace feedstock based on improved group search optimization

The scheduling process of cracking furnace feedstock is important in an ethylene plant. In this paper it is described as a constraint optimization problem. The constraints consist of the cycle of operation, maximum tube metal temperature, process time of each feedstock, and flow rate. A modified group search optimizer is proposed to deal with the optimization problem. Double fitness values are defined for every group. First, the factor of penalty function should be changed adaptively by the ratio of feasible and general solutions. Second, the "excellent" infeasible solution should be retained to guide the search. Some benchmark functions are used to evaluate the new algorithm. Finally, the proposed algorithm is used to optimize the scheduling process of cracking furnace feedstock. And the optimizing result is obtained.

Recent research progress in the mechanism and suppression of fusion welding-induced liquation cracking of nickel based superalloys

Nickel-based superalloys are extensively used in the crucial hot-section components of industrial gas turbines,aeronautics,and astronautics because of their excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance at high temperatures.Fusion welding serves as an effective means for joining and repairing these alloys;however,fusion welding-induced liquation cracking has been a challenging issue.This paper comprehensively reviewed recent liquation cracking,discussing the formation mechanisms,cracking criteria,and remedies.In recent investigations,regulating material composition,changing the preweld heat treatment of the base metal,optimizing the welding process parameters,and applying auxiliary control methods are effective strategies for mitigating cracks.To promote the application of nickel-based superalloys,further research on the combination impact of multiple elements on cracking prevention and specific quantitative criteria for liquation cracking is necessary.

Exploring an eco-friendly approach to improve soil tensile behavior and cracking resistance

Soil tensile strength is a critical parameter governing the initiation and propagation of tensile cracking.This study proposes an eco-friendly approach to improve the tensile behavior and crack resistance of clayey soils.To validate the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed approach,direct tensile tests were employed to determine the tensile strength of the compacted soil with different W-OH treatment concentrations and water contents.Desiccation tests were also performed to evaluate the effectiveness of W-OH treatment in enhancing soil tensile cracking resistance.During this period,the effects of W-OH treatment concentration and water content on tensile properties,soil suction and microstructure were investigated.The tensile tests reveal that W-OH treatment has a significant impact on the tensile strength and failure mode of the soil,which not only effectively enhances the tensile strength and failure displacement,but also changes the brittle failure behavior into a more ductile quasi-brittle failure behavior.The suction measurements and mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP)tests show that W-OH treatment can slightly reduce soil suction by affecting skeleton structure and increasing macropores.Combined with the microstructural analysis,it becomes evident that the significant improvement in soil tensile behavior through W-OH treatment is mainly attributed to the W-OH gel's ability to provide additional binding force for bridging and encapsulating the soil particles.Moreover,desiccation tests demonstrate that W-OH treatment can significantly reduce or even inhibit the formation of soil tensile cracking.With the increase of W-OH treatment concentration,the surface crack ratio and total crack length are significantly reduced.This study enhances a fundamental understanding of eco-polymer impacts on soil mechanical properties and provides valuable insight into their potential application for improving soil crack resistance.

Effect of icosahedral phase formation on the stress corrosion cracking(SCC)behaviors of the as-cast Mg-8%Li(in wt.%)based alloys

Through exploring the stress corrosion cracking(SCC)behaviors of the as-cast Mg-8%Li and Mg-8%Li-6%Zn-1.2%Y alloys in a 0.1 M NaCl solution,it revealed that the SCC susceptibility index(I_(SCC))of the Mg-8%Li alloy was 47%,whilst the I_(SCC)of the Mg-8%Li-6%Zn-1.2%Y alloy was 68%.Surface,cross-sectional and fractography observations indicated that for the Mg-8%Li alloy,theα-Mg/β-Li interfaces acted as the preferential crack initiation sites and propagation paths during the SCC process.With regard to the Mg-8%Li-6%Zn-1.2%Y alloy,the crack initiation sites included the I-phase and the interfaces of I-phase/β-Li andα-Mg/β-Li,and the preferential propagation paths were the I-phase/β-Li andα-Mg/β-Li interfaces.Moreover,the SCC of the two alloys was concerned with hydrogen embrittlement(HE)mechanism.

Thermally-induced cracking behaviors of coal reservoirs subjected to cryogenic liquid nitrogen shock

The benefits of using cryogenic liquid nitrogen shock to enhance coal permeability have been confirmed from experimental perspectives.In this paper,we develop a fully coupled thermo-elastic model in combination with the strain-based isotropic damage theory to uncover the cooling-dominated cracking behaviors through three typical cases,i.e.coal reservoirs containing a wellbore,a primary fracture,and a natural fracture network,respectively.The progressive cracking processes,from thermal fracture initiation,propagation or cessation,deflection,bifurcation to multi-fracture interactions,can be well captured by the numerical model.It is observed that two hierarchical levels of thermal fractures are formed,in which the number of shorter thermal fractures consistently exceeds that of the longer ones.The effects of coal properties related to thermal stress levels and thermal diffusivity on the fracture morphology are quantified by the fracture fractal dimension and the statistical fracture number.The induced fracture morphology is most sensitive to changes in the elastic modulus and thermal expansion coefficient,both of which dominate the complexity of the fracture networks.Coal reservoir candidates with preferred thermal-mechanical properties are also recommended for improving the stimulation effect.Further findings are that there exists a critical injection temperature and a critical in-situ stress difference,above which no thermal fractures would be formed.Preexisting natural fractures with higher density and preferred orientations are also essential for the formation of complex fracture networks.The obtained results can provide some theoretical support for cryogenic fracturing design in coal reservoirs.

Potential Cracking in Hydrogen Plant with Light Feedstocks (Part II)

This paper presents the analysis of potential thermal cracking of light feedstocks in the SMR. Two different feedstocks, natural gas and light hydrocarbon (HC) feedstock at two different mixed feed inlet temperatures, are selected to study the HC thermal cracking. Effect of Crossover Piping Volume on feed thermal cracking is also discussed.

Model-based risk assessment on dynamic control of twin-column continuous capture under feedstock variations

Dynamic control is essential to guarantee the stable performance of continuous chromatography.AutoMAb dynamic control strategy has been developed to ensure a consistent protein load in twincolumn CaptureSMB continuous capture by integrating the UV signal of breakthrough.In this study,the process risk of CaptureSMB continuous capture under AutoMAb control towards the feedstock variations was assessed by a mechanistic model developed by us.The effects of target protein and impurities under the variation range of±10 mAU·min^(-1) on load amount,protein loss,process productivity,and resin capacity utilization were investigated.The results showed that the CaptureSMB process could be successfully controlled by AutoMAb towards increased or slightly decreased concentration of feedstock.However,the load process would be out of control with drastically decreased target protein or impurities,and the decreased impurities would lead to protein loss.It was found that AutoMAb control would cause 44.7%non-operational areas and 18.3%protein loss areas in the variation range of±10 mAU·min^(-1).To improve the stability of the CaptureSMB process,a modified AutoMAb control that would stop the load procedure when the absolute value of the integral area reached the preset value,was proposed to reduce the risk of protein loss and the non-operational area.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of complex-shaped 7075 aluminium alloy prepared using modified polyoxymethylene-based feedstock

Additives of dioctyl phthalate(DOP),ethylene bis-stearomide(EBS),and epoxy(EP)were selected to modify the surface of 7075 Al alloy powder.Functional groups in DOP and EBS form hydrogen bonds with hydroxyl groups on the surface of Al powder.Additionally,the epoxy groups in the epoxy resin undergo ring-opening reactions with hydroxyl groups.The above interactions increased the compatibility between alloy powder and polyoxymethylene(POM).After sintering,samples containing DOP and EP presented high contents of C and O,while the part with EBS additive exhibited the lowest contents of 0.006 wt.%C and 0.604 wt.%O,respectively.Excessive C tends to accumulate at grain boundaries during sintering.Concurrently,excessive O causes secondary oxidation of aluminium alloy powder,inhibiting the sintering densification process.Therefore,the densities of the samples containing DOP and EP were only 85.52%and 79.01%,respectively.In contrast,using EBS as an additive,high-quality aluminium alloy parts were achieved,with a relative density of 97.64%and a tensile strength of 193 MPa.

Effects of layer thickness on desiccation cracking behaviour of a vegetated soil

The objective of this study is to explore how different layer thicknesses affect the desiccation cracking behaviour of vegetated soil.During the experiment,an electronic balance was employed to quantify water evaporation,while a digital camera was utilized to capture the initiation and progression of soil surface cracking.Results indicate that in the early drying process,the rate of evapotranspiration in vegetated soil correlates positively with leaf biomass.For soil samples with the same layer thickness,the constant rate stage duration is consistently shorter in vegetated soil samples than in their bare soil counterparts.As the layer thickness increases,both vegetated and bare soil samples crack at higher water content.However,vegetated soil samples crack at lower water content than their bare soil counterparts.Vegetation significantly reduces the soil surface crack ratio and improves the soil crack resistance.The crack reduction ratio is positively correlated with both root weight and length density.In thicker vegetated soil layers,the final surface crack length noticeably declines.

Development and Catalytic Cracking Performance of Ultrastable Y Zeolite Rich in Secondary Pores

A novel ultra-stable zeolite, NSZ, rich in secondary pores was developed through the combination of gas-phase andmild hydrothermal methods. This zeolite was successfully tested in an industrial setting for the first time in the world. The porestructure characteristics of the NSZ zeolite prepared for industrial use were analyzed and characterized using BET. The resultsindicate a significant increase in the secondary pore volume of NSZ zeolite compared to the existing ultra-stable zeolite HSZ-5, which is produced through a conventional gas-phase method. The average secondary pore volume to total pore volume ratioin NSZ zeolite was found to be 58.96% higher. The catalytic cracking performance of NSZ zeolite was evaluated. The resultsshowed that the NSC-LTA catalyst, with NSZ as the active component, outperformed the HSC-LTA catalyst with HSZ-5 zeolitein terms of obtaining more high-value products (gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas) during the hydrogenated light cycle oilprocessing. Additionally, the NSC-LTA catalyst showed a significant improvement in coke selectivity.

Cracking on a nickel-based superalloy fabricated by direct energy deposition

Cracks have consistently been a significant challenge limiting the development of additive manufactured nickel-based superalloys.It is essential to investigate the location of cracks and their forming mechanism.This study extensively examines the impact of solidification process,microstructural evolution,and stress concentration on crack initiation during direct energy deposition(DED).The results emphasize that the crack formation is significantly related to large-angle grain boundaries,rapid cooling rates.Cracks caused by large-angle grain boundaries and a fast-cooling rate predominantly appear near the edge of the deposited samples.Liquation cracks are more likely to form near the top of the deposited sample,due to the presence ofγ/γ'eutectics.The secondary dendritic arm and the carbides in the interdendritic regions can obstruct liquid flow during the final stage of solidification,which results in the formation of solidification cracks and voids.This work paves the way to avoid cracks in nickel-based superalloys fabricated by DED,thereby enhancing the performance of superalloys.

HZSM-5 zeolites undergoing the high-temperature process for boosting the bimolecular reaction in n-heptane catalytic cracking

High-temperature treatment is key to the preparation of zeolite catalysts.Herein,the effects of hightemperature treatment on the property and performance of HZSM-5 zeolites were studied in this work.X-Ray diffraction,N2physisorption,27Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance(MAS NMR),and temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia results indicated that the hightemperature treatment at 650℃ hardly affected the inherent crystal and texture of HZSM-5zeolites but facilitated the conversion of framework Al to extra-framework Al,reducing the acid site and enhancing the acid strength.Moreover,the high-temperature treatment improved the performance of HZSM-5 zeolites in n-heptane catalytic cracking,promoting the conversion and light olefins yield while inhibiting coke formation.Based on the kinetic and mechanism analysis,the improvement of HZSM-5 performance caused by high-temperature treatment has been attributed to the formation of extra-framework Al,which enhanced the acid strength,facilitated the bimolecular reaction,and promoted the entropy change to overcome a higher energy barrier in n-heptane catalytic cracking.

Brønsted-acid sites induced photocatalytic cracking of low-polarity polyethylene plastics

Polyolefins such as polyethylene(PE)are one of the largest-scale synthetic plastics and play a key role in modern society.However,polyethylene is extremely inert to chemical recycling owing to its lack of chemical functionality and low polarity,making it one of the most challenging environmental hazards globally.Herein,we developed a phosphorylated CeO_(2)catalyst by an organophosphate precursor and featured efficient photocatalysis of low-density polyethylene(LDPE)without the acid or alkaline pre-treatment.Compared to pristine CeO_(2),the surface phosphorylation allows to introduce Brønsted acid sites,which facilitate to form carbonium ions on LDPE via protonation.In addition,the suitable band structure of the phosphorylated CeO_(2)catalyst enables efficient photoabsorption and generates reactive oxygen species,leading to the C–C bond cleavage of LDPE.As a result,the phosphorylated CeO_(2)catalyst exhibited an outstanding carbon conversion rate of>94%after 48 h of photocatalysis under 50 mW/cm^(2)of simulated sunlight,with a high CO_(2)product selectivity of>99%.Furthermore,the PE microparticles with sizes larger than 10μm released from LDPE plastic wrap were directly and completely degraded by photocatalysis within 12 h,suggesting an attractive and environmentally benign strategy of utilizing solar energy-based photocatalysis for reducing potential hazards of LDPE plastic trashes.

Effect of solid solution elements on cracking susceptibility of Ni-based superalloys during additive manufacturing

Alloy composition design usually contributes to eliminating cracking in Ni-based superalloys during addi-tive manufacturing(AM).However,a detailed understanding of each solid solution element in the crack-ing susceptibility of Ni-based superalloys during AM is still missing.Thirteen newly designed alloys are considered to investigate the combined effect of solid solution elements on cracking susceptibility.The behaviors of solidification cracking,liquation cracking,and solid-state cracking were analyzed by the microstructural characterization and thermodynamic calculations.The results showed that W and Mo cause the formation of high melting-point carbides at grain boundaries(GBs),which increase solidifica-tion cracking susceptibility.Moreover,W and Mo lead to a slightly higher solidification cracking index(SCI)compared to Co,Cr,and Re.In the successive solidification and remelting process,the borides en-riched in W,Mo,and B around GBs will cause grain boundary segregation and liquation cracking.W and Re extend the freezing range(FR)and exacerbate the segregation of Al and Ti in the inter-dendritic re-gions,contributing to the formation of eutectics.Similarly,complete or partial melting of the eutectic can induce liquation cracking during the thermal cycling in AM.The solid-state cracking susceptibility can be reduced by solid solution elements,especially Re and Co.In summary,compared to Co,Cr,and Re,W and Mo exacerbate the cracking susceptibility.

Formulation of zeolite-mesoporous silica composite catalysts for light olefin production from catalytic cracking

Framework materials such as zeolites and mesoporous silicas are commonly used for many applications,especially catalysis and separation.Here zeolite-mesoporous silica composite catalysts(employing zeolite Y,ZSM-5,KIT-6,SBA-15 and MCM-41 mesoporous silica)were prepared(with different weight percent of zeolite Y and ZSM-5)and assessed for catalytic cracking(using n-heptane,as the model compound at 550°C)with the aim to improve the selectivity/yield of light olefins of ethylene and propylene from n-heptane.Physicochemical properties of the parent zeolites and the prepared composites were characterized comprehensively using several techniques including X-ray diffraction,nitrogen physisorption,scanning electron microscopy,fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,pulsed-field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance and thermogravimetric analysis.Catalytic cracking results showed that the ZY/ZSM-5/KIT-6 composite(20:20:60 wt%)achieved a high n-heptane conversion of 85%with approximately 6%selectivity to ethylene/propylene.In contrast,the ZY/ZSM-5/SBA-15 composite achieved a higher conversion of 95%and an ethylene/propylene ratio of 8%,indicating a more efficient process in terms of both conversion and selectivity.Magnetic resonance relaxation analysis of the ZY/ZSM-5/KIT-6(20:20:60)catalyst confirmed a micro-mesoporous environment that influences n-heptane diffusion and mass transfer.As zeolite Y and ZSM-5 have micropores,n-heptane can move and undergo hydrogen transfer reactions,whereas KIT-6 has mesopores that facilitate n-heptane’s accessibility to the active sites of zeolite Y and ZSM-5.

A molecular insight into coke formation process of vacuum residue in thermal cracking reaction

Understanding the coking behaviors has been considered to be really essential for developing better vacuum residue processing technologies.A battery of thermal cracking tests of typical vacuum residue at 410℃ with various reaction time were performed to evaluate the coke formation process.The total yields of ideal components including naphtha,atmospheric gas oil(AGO)and vacuum gas oil(VGO)of thermal cracking reactions increased from 10.89%to 40.81%,and the conversion ratios increased from8.05%to 43.33%with increasing the reaction time from 10 to 70 min.The asphaltene content increased from 12.14%to a maximum of 22.39%and then decreased,and this maximum of asphaltene content occurred at the end of the coking induction period.The asphaltenes during the coking induction period,at the end and after coking induction period of those tested thermal cracking reactions were characterized to disclose the structure changing rules for coke formation process,and the coke formation pathways were discussed to reveal the coke formation process at molecular level.

Preparation and Electrochemical Performance Study of Catalytic Cracking Oil Slurry-based Porous Carbon Materials

Catalytic cracking oil slurry is a by-product of catalytic cracking projects,and the efficient conversion and sustainable utilization of this material are issues of continuous concern in the petroleum refining industry.In this study,oxygen-enriched activated carbon is prepared using a one-step KOH activation method with catalytic cracking oil slurry as the raw material.The as-prepared oil slurry-based activated carbon exhibits a high specific surface area of 2102 m^(2)/g,welldefined micropores with an average diameter of 2 nm,and a rich oxygen doping content of 32.97%.The electrochemical performance of the nitrogen-doped porous carbon is tested in a three-electrode system using a 6 mol/L KOH solution as the electrolyte.It achieves a specific capacitance of up to 230 F/g at a current density of 1 A/g.Moreover,the capacitance retention rate exceeds 89%after 10000 charge and discharge cycles,demonstrating excellent cycle stability.This method not only improves the utilization efficiency of industrial fuel waste but also reduces the production cost of supercapacitor electrode materials,thereby providing a simple and effective strategy for the resource utilization of catalytic cracking oil slurries.