Mechanical behavior and microstructural mechanism of improved disintegrated carbonaceous mudstone

This study aims to improve the mechanical behavior of disintegrated carbonaceous mudstone, which is used as road embankment filler in southwestern China. Triaxial tests were performed on disintegrated carbonaceous mudstone modified by fly ash, cement, and red clay. Then the stress-strain relationships and shear strength parameters were analyzed. The microstructure and mineral composition of the materials were identified via scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results show that the stress-strain relationships changed from strain-hardening to strain-softening when disintegrated carbonaceous mudstone was modified with cement. By contrast, the addition of fly ash and red clay did not change the type of stress-strain relationships. The order of these three additives is cement, red clay and fly ash according to their influences on the cohesion. Disintegrated carbonaceous mudstone without cement all showed bulging failures, and that modified with cement exhibited shear failures or bulging-shear failures. The soil particles of the improved soil were well bonded by cementitious substances, so the microstructure was denser and more stable, which highly enhanced the mechanical behavior of disintegrated carbonaceous mudstone. The findings could offer references for the use of carbonaceous mudstone in embankment engineering.

Geochemical Evidence for Coal and Carbonaceous Mudstone as the Possible Major Oil Source Rock in the Jurassic Turpan Basin, Northwest China

Petroleum geologists have debated whether the hydrocarbons from Jurassic coal measures are derived from the coals, carbonaceous mudstones or coal-measure mudstones in the Turpan Basin. Based on the geochemistry analysis of the 20 crude oils and 40 source rocks from the Turpan Basin, some data have been obtained as follows： carbon preference index and methylphenanthrene index of the Jurassic oils are 1.16-1.45 and 0.28-0.80, and the ααα C29 sterane 20S/（20S＋20R） and C29 sterane ββ/（ββ＋αα） are 0.44-0.51 and 0.4-0.54 respectively, which show the normal maturity of oils; the vitrinite reflectance of the source rocks from the Xishanyao to Badaowan Formations range from 0.47% to 0.97%, which indicate immature to mature thermal evolutionary stage and sufficient conditions for generating mass mature oil. The effect of hydrocarbon expulsion should be considered when studying the source of coal-derived oil by using Biomarkers. Biomarkers in the Jurassic oils from the basin are similar to those in the coals and carbonaceous mudstones, with a strong predominant content of pristane, relatively high ratio of C15 /C16 sesquiterpenoids （1）, a relatively high content of low carbon number tricyclic terpanes and C 24 tetracyclic terpane, little gammacerane and C 29 Ts detected, an absolute predominant content of C29 sterane and a relatively high content of diasterane. However, the opposite characteristics are shown in mudstones, with an approximately equal content of pristane and phytane, relatively low ratio of C15 /C16 sesquiterpenoids （1）, a relatively high content of high carbon number tricyclic terpanes and a low content of C 24 tetracyclic terpane, peaks of gammacerane and C29 Ts detected obviously and an increasing C27 sterane content. All of these characteristics identify the coals and carbonaceous mudstones as the possible major oil source rocks in this area, and they were formed in the stronger oxidizing environment with shallower water than mudstones.

Effect of initial gravimetric water content and cyclic wetting-drying on soil-water characteristic curves of disintegrated carbonaceous mudstone

The soil-water characteristic curve(SWCC)is often used to estimate unsaturated soil properties(e.g.strength,permeability,volume change,solute and thermal diffusivity).The SWCC of soil samples is significantly affected by cyclic wetting-drying.To examine how water content and cyclic wetting-drying affect the SWCC of disintegrated carbonaceous mudstone(DCM),SWCC tests were implemented using a pressure-plate apparatus.In addition,SWCC models for DCM considering the initial gravimetric water content and cyclic wetting-drying were developed.The test results showed that the volumetric water content(θ)of the DCM first decreased rapidly and then became stable as matric suction(s)increased.The initial water content affected the SWCC by altering the pore structure of the DCM.For a given number of wetting-drying cycles,the higher the initial water content,the higher the stabilizedθ.At a given s value,θdecreased as the number of wetting-drying cycles increased,which suggests that cyclic wetting-drying reduces the water-holding capacity of DCM.The Gardner model for DCM was constructed considering initial water content and cyclic wetting-drying,and was effective at describing and predicting the SWCC model for DCM.