Strength properties of xanthan gum and guar gum treated kaolin at different water contents

Nowadays,using biopolymer as a ground improvement method has become very popular.However,since biopolymers are organic and degradable,their long-term effect is not fully known.In this study,the effects of biopolymers on the mechanical behavior of kaolin clay were investigated through a comprehensive program of experiments.Two types of biopolymer,i.e.xanthan gum and guar gum were chosen to investigate the effect of biopolymer type.For this purpose,specimens were prepared using standard Proctor energy at four different water contents(25%,30%35%and 40%)with 0.5%,1%,1.5%and 2%biopolymer inclusions.The specimens were cured for 1 d,7 d,28 d and 90 d.Moreover,some of the specimens were kept in the curing room for 3 years to observe the long-term effect of the biopolymers.At the end of the curing periods,the specimens were subjected to unconfined compression test,and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)analysis was performed to observe the mechanism of strength improvement.The results revealed that the unconfined compressive strength(UCS)of the specimens treated with biopolymers increased in all biopolymer inclusion levels and water contents up to a 90-d curing period.For specimens containing xanthan gum,the maximum strength increase was observed at 25%water content and 2%xanthan gum with 90-d curing.The strength increased 5.23 times induced by xanthan gum addition when compared to the pure clay.Moreover,the increase in strength reached 8.53 times in specimens treated with guar gum.Besides,increasing water content caused more ductile behavior,thus increasing the axial deformation.

Influence of structural factors on the strength properties of aluminum alloys under shock wave loading

The results of measurements of the strength characteristics-Hugoniot elastic limit and spall strength of aluminum and aluminum alloys in different structural states under shock wave loading are presented.Single-crystals and polycrystalline technical grade aluminumА1013 and aluminum alloysА2024,АА6063Т6,А1421,A7,А7075,А3003,A5083,АА1070 in the initial coarse-grained state and ultrafine-grained or nanocrystalline structural state were investigated.The refinement of the grain structure was carried out by different methods of severe plastic deformation such as Equal Chanel Angular Pressing,Dynamic Channel Angular Pressing,High-Pressure Torsion and Accumulative Roll-Bonding.The strength characteristics of shock-loaded samples in different structural states were obtained from the analysis of the evolution of the free surface velocity histories recorded by means of laser Doppler velocimeter VISAR.The strain rates before spall fracture of the samples were in the range of 10^(4)-10^(5 )s^(-1),the maximum pressure of shock compression did not exceed 7 GPa.The results of these studies clearly demonstrate the influence of structural factors on the resistance to high-rate deformation and dynamic fracture,and it is much less than under the static and quasi-static loading.

Selection of regression models for predicting strength and deformability properties of rocks using GA

Recently,many regression models have been presented for prediction of mechanical parameters of rocks regarding to rock index properties.Although statistical analysis is a common method for developing regression models,but still selection of suitable transformation of the independent variables in a regression model is diffcult.In this paper,a genetic algorithm(GA)has been employed as a heuristic search method for selection of best transformation of the independent variables(some index properties of rocks)in regression models for prediction of uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)and modulus of elasticity(E).Firstly,multiple linear regression(MLR)analysis was performed on a data set to establish predictive models.Then,two GA models were developed in which root mean squared error(RMSE)was defned as ftness function.Results have shown that GA models are more precise than MLR models and are able to explain the relation between the intrinsic strength/elasticity properties and index properties of rocks by simple formulation and accepted accuracy.

Ideal Strengths and Bonding Properties of UO2 under Tension

By performing density functional theory plus U calculations, we systematically study the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of U02 under uniaxial tensile strain. The results show that the ideal tensile strengths along the [100], [110], and [111] directions are 93.6, 2Z7, and 16.4 GPa at strains of 0.44, 0.24, and 0.16, respectively. After electronic-structure investigation for tensile stain along the [001] direction, we find that the strong mixed ionic/covalent character of U-O bond is weakened by the tensile strain and there will occur an insulator to metal transition at strain over 0.30.

Influence of fines content on the anti-frost properties of coarse-grained soil

This paper aims to determine the optimal fines content of coarse-grained soil required to simultaneously achieve weaker frost susceptibility and better bearing capacity. We studied the frost susceptibility and strength properties of coarse-grained soil by means of frost heaving tests and static triaxial tests, and the results are as follows： （1） the freezing temperature of coarse-grained soil decreased gradually and then leveled off with incremental increases in the percent content of fines; （2） the fines content proved to be an important factor influencing the frost heave susceptibility and strength properties of coarse-grained soil. With incremental increases in the percent content of fines, the frost heave ratio increased gradually and the cohesion function of fines effectively enhanced the shear strength of coarse-grained soil before freeze-thaw, but the frost susceptibility of fines weakened the shear strength of coarse-grained soil after freeze-thaw; （3） with increasing numbers of freeze-thaw cycles, the shear strength of coarse-grained soil decreased and then stabilized after the ninth freeze-thaw cycle, and therefore the mechanical indexes of the ninth freeze-thaw cycle are recommended for the engi- neering design values; and （4） considering frost susceptibility and strength properties as a whole, the optimal fines content of 5% is recommended for railway sub,fade coarse-~rained soil fillings in frozen re^ions.

Stochastic Second-Order Two-Scale Method for Predicting the Mechanical Properties of Composite Materials with Random Interpenetrating Phase

In this paper,a stochastic second-order two-scale(SSOTS)method is proposed for predicting the non-deterministic mechanical properties of composites with random interpenetrating phase.Firstly,based on random morphology description functions(RMDF),the randomness of the material properties of the constituents as well as the correlation among these random properties are fully characterized through the topologies of the constituents.Then,by virtue of multiscale asymptotic analysis,the random effective quantities such as stiffness parameters and strength parameters along with their numerical computation formulae are derived by a SSOTS strategy combined with the Monte-Carlo method.Finally,the SSOTS method developed in this paper shows an excellent computational accuracy,and therefore present an important advance towards computationally efficient multiscale modeling frameworks considering microstructure uncertainties.

Improved Breakdown Strength in(Ba_(0.6)Sr_(0.4))_(0.85)Bi_(0.1)TiO_3 Ceramics with Addition of CaZrO_3 for Energy Storage Application

（Ba（0.6） Sr（0.4））（0.85） Bi（0.1） TiO3 ceramics doped with x wt%CaZrO3（x= 0-10） were synthesized by solid-state reaction method. The effects of CaZrO3 amount on the dielectric properties and structure of（Ba（0.6）Sr（0.4））（0.85） Bi（0.1） TiO3 ceramics were investigated. X-ray diffraction results indicated a pure cubic perovskite structure for all samples and that the lattice parameter increased till x=5 and then slightly decreased. A homogenous microstructure was observed with the addition of CaZrO3. Dielectric measurements revealed a relaxor-like characteristic for all samples and that the diffusivity γ reached the maximum value of 1.78 at x=5. With the addition of CaZrO3, the dielectric constant dependence on electric field was weakened, insulation resistivity enhanced and dielectric breakdown strength improved obviously and reached 19.9 k V/mm at x=7.5. In virtue of low dielectric loss（tan d〈0.001 5）, moderate dielectric constant（er 〉1 500） and high breakdown strength（Eb 〉17.5 k V/mm）, the CaZrO3 doped（Ba（0.6）Sr（0.4））0.85 Bi（0.1） TiO3 ceramic is a potential candidate material for high power electric applications.

Hydraulic properties of dune sand-bentonite mixtures of insulation barriers for hazardous waste facilities

The material and elastic properties of rocks are utilized for predicting and evaluating hard rock brittleness using artificial neural networks（ANN）. Herein hard rock brittleness is defined using Yagiz＇method. A predictive model is developed using a comprehensive database compiled from 30 years＇ worth of rock tests at the Earth Mechanics Institute（EMI）, Colorado School of Mines. The model is sensitive to density, elastic properties, and P- and S-wave velocities. The results show that the model is a better predictor of rock brittleness than conventional destructive strength-test based models and multiple regression techniques. While the findings have direct implications on intact rock, the methodology can be extrapolated to rock mass problems in both tunneling and underground mining where rock brittleness is an important control.

Cu Partitioning Behavior and Its Effect on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 0.12C-1.33Mn-0.55Cu Q&P Steel

Cu, as an austenitic stable element, is added to steel in order to suppress the adverse effects of high content of C and Mn on welding. Based on C partitioning, Cu and Mn partitioning can further improve the stability of retained austenite in the intercritical annealing process. A sample of low carbon steel containing Cu was treated by the intercritical annealing, then quenching process（I＆Q）. Subsequently, another sample was treated by the intercritical annealing, subsequent austenitizing, then quenching and partitioning process（I＆Q＆P）. The effects of element partitioning behavior in intercritical region on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the steel were studied. The results showed that after the I＆Q process ferrite and martensite could be obtained, with C, Cu and Mn enriched in the martensite. When intercritically heated at 800 ℃, Cu and Mn were partitioned from ferrite to austenite, which was enhanced gradually as the heating time was increased. This partitioning effect was the most obvious when the sample was heated at 800 ℃ for 40 min. At the early stage of α→γ transformation, the formation of γ was controlled by the partitioning of carbon, while at the later stage, it was mainly affected by the partitioning of Cu and Mn. After the I＆Q＆P process, the partitioning effect of Cu and Mn element could be retained. C was assembled in retained austenite during the quenching and partitioning process. The strength and elongation of I＆Q＆P steel was increased by 5 305 MPa% compared with that subjected to Q＆P process. The volume fraction of retained autensite was increased from 8.5% to 11.2%. Hence, the content of retained austenite could be improved significantly by Mn and Cu partitioning, which increased the elongation of steel.

Influence of the gassing materials on the dielectric properties of air

Influence of the gassing materials, such as PA6, PMMA, and POM on the dielectric properties of air are investigated. In this work, the fundamental electron collision cross section data were carefully selected and validated. Then the species compositions of the air–organic vapor mixtures were calculated based on the Gibbs free energy minimization. Finally, the Townsend ionization coefficient, the Townsend electron attachment coefficient and the critical reduced electric field strength were derived from the calculated electron energy distribution function by solving the Boltzmann transport equation. The calculation results indicated that H;O with large attachment cross sections has a great impact on the critical reduced electric field strength of the air–organic vapor mixtures. On the other hand, the vaporization of gassing materials can help to increase the dielectric properties of air circuit breakers to some degree.

An Average Failure Index Method for the Tensile Strength Prediction of Composite Adhesive-bonded π Joints

An average failure index method based on accurate FEA was proposed for the tensile strength prediction of composite out-of-plane adhesive-bonded π joints. Based on the simple and independent maximum stress failure criterion, the failure index was introduced to characterize the degree of stress components close to their corresponding material strength. With a brief load transfer analysis, the weak fillers were prominent and further detailed discussion was performed. The maximum value among the average failure indices which were related with different stress components was filtrated to represent the failure strength of the critical surface, which is either the two curved upside surfaces or the bottom plane of the fillers for composite π joints. The tensile strength of three kinds of π joints with different material systems, configurations and lay-ups was predicted by the proposed method and corresponding experiments were conducted. Good agreements between the numerical and experimental results give evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed method. In contrast to the existed time-consuming strength prediction methods, the proposed method provides a capability of quickly assessing the failure of complex out-of-plane joints and is easy and convenient to be widely utilized in engineering.

Durability characteristics of cement-bonded particleboards manufactured from maize stalk residue

Cement-bonded particleboards of 6 mm in thickness were manufactured using maize stalk （Zea mays） particles of uniform sizes at three levels of board density and additive concentrations respectively. The bending strength and dimensional properties were assessed. Increase in board density and additive concentration caused increase in Modulus of rupture （MOR）, Modulus of elasticity （MOE）, and decrease in Thickness swelling （TS） and Water absorption （WA）. The MOR, MOE and TS of the boards were significantly affected by board density except for WA, but additive concentration affected all the boards＇ properties examined at p ≥ 0.05. Strong and dimensional stable cement-bonded boards could be manufactured from maize stalk particles with Portland cement as the binder after hot water treatment. Although the dimensional stability and mechanical strength properties of the boards were affected by the board density and additive concentration, the study revealed that cement-bonded particleboards could be manufactured from maize stalk （Zea mays） particles. However, the increase in board density and additive concentration could cause the increase in MOR and MOE, and cause the decrease in TS and WA of boards.

Tin-based metal bath heat treatment: an efficient and recyclable green approach for Pinus massoniana wood modification

Pinus massoniana L. was thermally treated with low melting point alloy as heating medium to investigate the strength properties changes. Contact angle, color and scanning electron microscopy were recorded to assess the effectiveness of the treatment. Samples were pre-treated in a micro-wave for 5 min followed by metal bath heat treatment at 150, 180, and 210 °C for 2, 4, and 8 h,respectively. Strength properties of metal bath treated wood were decreased with increase temperature and time.Density, modulus of rupture, impact bending, modulus of elasticity were reduced for all treatments. Maximum compressive strength slightly increased at 150 °C for 4 h followed by gradual reduction. The Janka hardness was reduced in the tangential and radial directions. Treatment of the wood at 210 °C for 8 h caused the wood to become brittle and rupture. The contact angle was considerably higher after thermal treatment. The color of the wood became darker with increasing temperature of thermal treatment. Micrographs of the heat-treated samples showed damage to the cell wall with increase in temperature. Metal bath heat treatment of wood was carried out successfully and some strength properties were reduced.

Rock slope stability evaluation in static and seismic conditions for left bank of Jinsha River Bridge along Lijiang-Xamgyi'nyilha railway, China

Jinsha River Bridge is located along the Lijiang-Xamgyi＇nyilha railway on the southeastern Tibet plateau; it is an area with a high prevalence of earthquakes. The bridge abutments were designed to be constructed in river bank slopes, where rocks are controlled by two sets of joint planes that significantly influence the stability of the left bank slope. According to the engineering-geological conditions and the characteristics of discontinuities, strength properties of the rock mass were obtained based on Barton model and direct shear test. Numerical analyses were performed using FLAC3D software to examine the slope＇s response to seismic loading. Then in order to evaluate the damage trends of the rock mass under the different loading conditions, a calculation model based on the geological parameters and slope stability was simulated and analyzed using the discrete element numerical simulation program UDEC （Universal Dis- tinct Element Code）, and the effect of degradation of discontinuities on the slope stability was investigated. The results show that the destruction of rock mass under the gravity, bridge foundation, and seismic load are mainly concentrated within 30 m depth of slope, and the slope under loading may slide along joint planes. In addition, the dynamic analysis by amplification of the input loading indicates that instability occurs to the bank slope at a height of about 200 m, and rock blocks will fail under seismic load. Therefore, to prevent the slope from deformation under the engineering loading and strong earthquakes, the bridge foundation should be strengthened.

Deep learning model for estimating the mechanical properties of concrete containing silica fume exposed to high temperatures

In this study,the deep learning models for estimating the mechanical properties of concrete containing silica fume subjected to high temperatures were devised.Silica fume was used at concentrations of 0%,5%,10%,and 20%.Cube specimens(100 mm×100 mm×100 mm)were prepared for testing the compressive strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity.They were cured at 20℃zb2℃ in a standard cure for 7,28,and 90 d.After curing,they were subjected to temperatures of 20℃,200℃,400℃,600℃,and 800℃.Two well-known deep learning approaches,i.e.,stacked autoencoders and long short-term memory(LSTM)networks,were used for forecasting the compressive strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity of concrete containing silica fume subjected to high temperatures.The forecasting experiments were carried out using MATLAB deep learning and neural network tools,respectively.Various statistical measures were used to validate the prediction performances of both the approaches.This study found that the LSTM network achieved better results than the stacked autoencoders.In addition,this study found that deep learning,which has a very good prediction ability with little experimental data,was a convenient method for civil engineering.

Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Graphene-Titanium Composites Synthesized by Microwave Sintering

The x wt%graphene-Ti composites（x = 0,0.2,0.3 and 0.4） were obtained using the powder metallurgy method.The X-ray diffraction results demonstrated that the peak intensity of graphene increased monotonically with increasing graphene content.Furthermore,the number of grain boundary and interface between graphene and matrix increased as graphene increased,which led to a sharp rise of thermal resistances.The thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity of composites initially decreased drastically with addition of graphene,but then increased with increasing graphene content from 0.2 to 0.4 wt%.This phenomenon was connected with the graphene content and the characteristics of Ti matrix（pores,grain boundary and interface between graphene and matrix）.The variation of the compressive strength of composites was attributed to the interaction effects of the average grain size of the Ti matrix（d_m） and the volume fraction（V_f） and aspect ratio（A） of graphene.

Flexural Strength and Weibull Analysis of Bulk Metallic Glasses

The flexural strength reliability of bulk metallic glasses （BMGs） plates is analyzed using Weibull statistics. The Weibull modulus （m） and characteristic strength （σ0） of the Zr48Cu45AI7 BMG are 34 and 2630 MPa, respectively, which are much higher than the values of fine ceramics （m 〈 30, σ0 〈 1600 MPa）. In particular, the m values obtained by flexural strength and compressive strength statistics of the Mg61Cu28Gd11 BMG are 5 and 33, respectively, indicating that the m values of BMGs are test method dependent, and only the m values obtained by flexural strength statistics can be used to make a convincible comparison with those of ceramics.

Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties influenced by austenitizing temperature in aluminum-alloyed TRIP-aided steel

The Fe-0.21C 2.2Mn 0.49Si-1.77A1 transformation induced plasticity （TRIP） aided steel was heat trea- ted at various austenitizing temperatures under both TRiP-aided polygonal ferrite type （TPF） and an- nealed martensite matrix （TAM） processes. The microstructure evolution and their effects on mechanical properties were systematically investigated through the microstructure observation and dilatometric analysis. The microstructure homogeneity is improved in TPF steel heated at a high temperature due to the reduced banded martensite and the increased bainite. Compared with the mechanical properties of the TPF steels, the yield strength and elongation of the TAM steels are much higher, while the tensile strength is lower than that of TPF steels. The stability of intercritical austenite is affected by the heating tempera- ture, and thus the following phase transformation influences the mechanical properties, such as the bain- ite transformation and the precipitation of polygonal ferrite. Obvious dynamic bainite transformation occurs at TAM850, TAM900 and TAM950, More proportion of polygonal ferrite is found in the sample heated at 950 ℃. The bainite transformation beginning at a higher temperature results in the wider bainitic ferrite laths. The more proportion of polygonal ferrite and wide bainitic ferrite laths commonly contribute to the lower strength and better elongation. The uniform microstructure with lath-like morphology and retained austenite with high average carbon content ensures a good mechanical property in TAM850 with the product of strength and elongation of about 28 GPa ·%,

Extraction of a novel tanning agent from indigenous plant bark and its application in leather processing

The use of vegetable tanning materials in leather processing has drawn attention as an alternative to basic chromium sulphate for its natural abundance and environmental aspects.In this work,an attempt has been made to extract vegetable tannins from Xylocarpus granatum bark using different solvents(e.g.,water,methanol,ethanol,and chloroform)and compare with conventional vegetable tanning agents such as mimosa and quebracho.The highest extraction efficiency was observed 31.22%by methanol.The presence of tannin content and polyphenolic compounds,e.g.(-)epicatechin(503 mg/100 g dry extract),catechin hydrate(218 mg/100 g dry extract),catechol(29 mg/100 g dry extract)were ensured by UV-Vis,FT-IR spectroscopy and HPLC.Again,condensed tannins,moisture content,and pH of the methanol extracted tannin were found 47.80%,5.82%,and 3.97 respectively.The leather tanned by Xylocarpus granatum tannin showed a shrinkage temperature of 86.34±1.52℃.Other properties such as tensile strength,tear strength,grain cracking load,and distention at grain cracking were comparable to conventional vegetable-tanned leather.The cross-sectional morphology of the tanned leathers was also characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)which revealed a compact structure of the leather fibers.In light of the findings from the study,X.granatum bark tannin could be a well alternative to chromium and a new source of vegetable tannin for the leather industry.