Assessment of early-age cracking of high-performance concrete in restrained ring specimens

High-performance concrete （HPC） is stronger and more durable than conventional concrete. However, shrinkage and shrinkage cracking are common phenomena in HPC, especially early-age cracking. This study assessed early-age cracking of HPC for two mixtures using restrained ring tests. The two mixtures were produced with water/binder mass ratio （mw/mB） of 0.22 and 0.40, respectively. The results show that, with greater steel thickness, the higher degree of restraint resulted in a higher interface pressure and earlier cracking. With steel thickness of 6 mm, 19 mm, and 30 mm, the age of cracking were, respectively, 12 days, 8 days, and 5.4 days with the mw/mB = 0.22 mixture; and 22.5 days, 12.6 days, and 7.1 days with the mw/mB= 0.40 mixture. Cases of the same steel thickness show that the ring specimens with a thicker concrete wall crack later. With the mw/mB = 0.22 mixture, concrete walls with thicknesses of 37.5 mm, 75 mm, and 112.5 mm cracked at 3.4 days, 8.0 days, and 9.8 days, respectively; with the mw/mB = 0.40 mixture, the ages of cracking were 7.1 days, 12.6 days, and 16.0 days, respectively.

Influence of fly ash on early-age cracking behavior of high-flowing concrete

The effects of quality and content of fly ash on the early-age cracking behavior of high-flowing concrete （HFC） were investigated. The early-age cracking behavior of the HFC was analyzed by combining the tests of evaporation capacity and electrical resistivity of the HFC. In these tests, a modified flat-type specimen was adopted. The results show that the HFC will have a lower evaporation capacity when it is mixed with fine fly ash, while it will have a higher evaporation capacity when grade II! fly ash is used as mineral admixture. And the electrical resistivity rate of HFC reduces with the increase of the content of fly ash. A nonlinear relationship exists between the cracking time of HFC and the minimum electrical resistivity. The early-age cracking behavior of HFC with fly ash can be enhanced by appropriately increasing the fine particle content and MgO, K2O, and SO3 contents of fly ash. The optimal content of fly ash, which makes a satisfied early-age cracking behavior of HFC, is obtained. And when the content of fly ash exceeds a critical value, the early-age cracking behavior of HFC will rapidly decrease.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Stress corrosion cracking behavior of buried oil and gas pipeline steel under the coexistence of magnetic field and sulfate-reducing bacteria

Magnetic field and microorganisms are important factors influencing the stress corrosion cracking(SCC)of buried oil and gas pipelines. Once SCC occurs in buried pipelines, it will cause serious hazards to the soil environment. The SCC behavior of X80 pipeline steel under the magnetic field and sulfate-reducing bacteria(SRB) environment was investigated by immersion tests, electrochemical tests, and slow strain rate tensile(SSRT) tests. The results showed that the corrosion and SCC sensitivity of X80 steel decreased with increasing the magnetic field strength in the sterile environment. The SCC sensitivity was higher in the biotic environment inoculated with SRB, but it also decreased with increasing magnetic field strength, which was due to the magnetic field reduces microbial activity and promotes the formation of dense film layer. This work provided theoretical guidance on the prevention of SCC in pipeline steel under magnetic field and SRB coexistence.

Simulation of Corrosion-Induced Cracking of Reinforced Concrete Based on Fracture Phase Field Method

Accurate simulation of the cracking process caused by rust expansion of reinforced concrete(RC)structures plays an intuitive role in revealing the corrosion-induced failure mechanism.Considering the quasi-brittle fracture of concrete,the fracture phase field driven by the compressive-shear term is constructed and added to the traditional brittle fracture phase field model.The rationality of the proposed model is verified by a mixed fracture example under a shear displacement load.Then,the extended fracture phase model is applied to simulate the corrosion-induced cracking process of RC.The cracking patterns caused by non-uniform corrosion expansion are discussed for RC specimens with homogeneous macroscopically or heterogeneous with different polygonal aggregate distributions at the mesoscopic scale.Then,the effects of the protective layer on the crack propagation trajectory and cracking resistance are investigated,illustrating that the cracking angle and cracking resistance increase with the increase of the protective layer thickness,consistent with the experimental observation.Finally,the corrosion-induced cracking process of concrete specimens with large and small spacing rebars is simulated,and the interaction of multiple corrosion cracking is easily influenced by the reinforcement spacing,which increases with the decrease of the steel bar interval.These conclusions play an important role in the design of engineering anti-corrosion measures.The fracture phase field model can provide strong support for the life assessment of RC structures.

Effect of Shrinkage Reducing Agent and Steel Fiber on the Fluidity and Cracking Performance of Ultra-High Performance Concrete

Due to the low water-cement ratio of ultra-high-performance concrete(UHPC),fluidity and shrinkage cracking are key aspects determining the performance and durability of this type of concrete.In this study,the effects of different types of cementitious materials,chemical shrinkage-reducing agents(SRA)and steel fiber(SF)were assessed.Compared with M2-UHPC and M3-UHPC,M1-UHPC was found to have better fluidity and shrinkage cracking performance.Moreover,different SRA incorporation methods,dosage and different SF types and aspect ratios were implemented.The incorporation of SRA and SF led to a decrease in the fluidity of UHPC.SRA internal content of 1%(NSRA-1%),SRA external content of 1%(WSRA-1%),STS-0.22 and STE-0.7 decreased the fluidity of UHPC by 3.3%,8.3%,9.2%and 25%,respectively.However,SRA and SF improved the UHPC shrinkage cracking performance.NSRA-1%and STE-0.7 reduced the shrinkage value of UHPC by 40%and 60%,respectively,and increased the crack resistance by 338%and 175%,respectively.In addition,the addition of SF was observed to make the microstructure of UHPC more compact,and the compressive strength and flexural strength of 28 d were increased by 26.9%and 19.9%,respectively.

Research Advances on Cyclohexane Catalytic Cracking

This article elaborates on the research achievements of domestic and foreign researchers in exploring the conversion pathways and reaction mechanisms of cyclohexane catalytic cracking in recent years.It analyzes the effects of different catalysts and process conditions on the conversion laws of cyclohexane,summarizes the conversion pathways of cyclohexane,and discusses the chemical mechanisms of several main reactions of cyclohexane in catalytic cracking,such as cracking,isomerization,hydrogen transfer,dehydrogenation,and alkylation;Several advanced characterization methods and common research methods were listed,and prospects for future development in this field were proposed based on existing research.

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.

Targeted Catalytic Cracking to Olefins(TCO):Reaction Mechanism,Production Scheme,and Process Perspectives

Light olefins are important organic building blocks in the chemicals industry.The main low-carbon olefin production methods,such as catalytic cracking and steam cracking,have considerable room for improvement in their utilization of hydrocarbons.This review provides a thorough overview of recent studies on catalytic cracking,steam cracking,and the conversion of crude oil processes.To maximize the production of light olefins and reduce carbon emissions,the perceived benefits of various technologies are examined.Taking olefin generation and conversion as a link to expand upstream and downstream processes,a targeted catalytic cracking to olefins(TCO)process is proposed to meet current demands for the transformation of oil refining into chemical production.The main innovations of this process include a multiple feedstock supply,the development of medium-sized catalysts,and a diameter-transformed fluidizedbed reactor with different feeding schemes.In combination with other chemical processes,TCO is expected to play a critical role in enabling petroleum refining and chemical processes to achieve low carbon dioxide emissions.

Effect of particle size of single-crystalline hierarchical ZSM-5 on its surface mass transfer in n-heptane catalytic cracking

Single-crystalline hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolites with different particle sizes(namely 100,140,and 200 nm)were successfully prepared by adjusting the amount of tetrapropylammonium hydroxide(TPAOH),and investigated in n-heptane catalytic cracking reaction.Diffusional measurements by zero-length column(ZLC)method showed that the apparent diffusivities of n-heptane decreased with the reduction of particle size,indicating the existence of surface barriers.Moreover,with the decrease of particle size,the additional diffusion path length increased,which meant the influence of surface barriers became more apparent.Despite the change of surface barriers,the intracrystalline diffusion still dominated the overall diffusion.Catalytic performance showed that the zeolite with smaller particle size had better stability.

Continuous-discontinuous element method for three-dimensional thermal cracking of rocks

Thermal cracking of rocks can significantly affect the durability of underground structures in engineering practices such as geothermal energy extraction,storage of nuclear waste and tunnelling in freezeethaw cycle induced areas.It is a scenario of strong coupled thermomechanical process involving discontinuity behaviours of rocks.In this context,a numerical model was proposed to investigate the thermal cracking of rocks,in a framework of the continuous-discontinuous element method(CDEM)for efficiently capturing the initiation and propagation of multiple cracks.A simplex integration strategy was adopted to account for the influences of temperature-dependent material properties.Several benchmark tests were considered and the obtained results were compared with analytical solutions and numerical results from the literature.The results show that the fracture degree of the cases when considering temperature-dependent material parameters had 10%differences approximately compared with the cases with constant parameters.