Carbonation of Pure Minerals in Portland Cement:Evolution in Products as a Function of Water-to-solid Ratio

Minerals in Portland cement including tricalcium silicate(C_(3)S),β-dicalcium silicate(β-C_(2)S),tricalcium aluminate(C_(3)A),and tetracalcium ferroaluminate(C_(4)AF),show a significantly different activity and product evolution for CO_(2)curing at various water-to-solid ratios.These pure minerals were synthesized and subject to CO_(2)curing in this study to make an in-depth understanding for the carbonation properties of cement-based materials.Results showed that the optimum water-to-solid ratios of C_(3)S,β-C_(2)S,C_(3)A and C_(4)AF were 0.25,0.15,0.30 and 0.40 for carbonation,corresponding to 2 h carbonation degree of 38.5%,38.5%,24.2%,and 21.9%,respectively.The produced calcite duringβ-C_(2)S carbonation decreased as the water-to-solid ratio increased,with an increase in content of metastable CaCO_(3)of vaterite and aragonite.The thermodynamic stability of CaCO_(3)produced during carbonation was C_(3)A>C_(4)AF>β-C_(2)S>C_(3)S.The carbonation degree of Portland cement was predicted based on the results of pure minerals and the composition of cement,and the error of predicted production of CaCO_(3)was only 1.1%,which provides a potential method to predict carbonation properties of systems with a complex mineral composition.

Effect of high-multiple water injection on rock pore structure and oil displacement efficiency

Experimental methods,including mercury pressure,nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)and core(wateroil)displacement,are used to examine the effects of high-multiple water injection(i.e.water injection with high injected pore volume)on rock properties,pore structure and oil displacement efficiency of an oilfield in the western South China Sea.The results show an increase in the permeability of rocks along with particle migration,an increase in the pore volume and the average pore throat radius,and enhanced heterogeneity after high-multiple water injection.Compared with normal water injection methods,a high-multiple water injection is more effective in improving the oil displacement efficiency.The degree of recovery increases faster in the early stage due to the expansion of the swept area,and the transition from oil-wet to water-wet.The degree of recovery increases less in the late stage due to various factors,including the enhancement of heterogeneity in the rocks.Considering both the economic aspect and the production limit of water flooding,it is recommended to adopt other technologies to further enhance oil recovery after 300 PV water injection.

Efficient stabilization of dredged sludge with high water content using an improved bio-carbonation of reactive magnesia cement method

This study proposed an improved bio-carbonation of reactive magnesia cement(RMC)method for dredged sludge stabilization using the urea pre-hydrolysis strategy.Based on unconfined compression strength(UCS),pickling-drainage,and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)tests,the effects of prehydrolysis duration(T),urease activity(UA)and curing age(CA)on the mechanical properties and microstructural characteristics of bio-carbonized samples were systematically investigated and analyzed.The results demonstrated that the proposed method could significantly enhance urea hydrolysis and RMC bio-carbonation to achieve efficient stabilization of dredged sludge with 80%high water content.A significant strength increment of up to about 1063.36 kPa was obtained for the bio-carbonized samples after just 7 d of curing,which was 2.64 times higher than that of the 28-day cured ordinary Portland cement-reinforced samples.Both elevated T and UA could notably increase urea utilization ratio and carbonate ion yield,but the resulting surge in supersaturation also affected the precipitation patterns of hydrated magnesia carbonates(HMCs),which weakened the cementation effect of HMCs on soil particles and further inhibited strength enhancement of bio-carbonized samples.The optimum formula was determined to be the case of T?24 h and UA?10 U/mL for dredged sludge stabilization.A 7-day CA was enough for bio-carbonized samples to obtain stable strength,albeit slightly affected by UA.The benefits of high efficiency and water stability presented the potential of this method in achieving dredged sludge stabilization and resource utilization.This investigation provides informative ideas and valuable insights on implementing advanced bio-geotechnical techniques to achieve efficient stabilization of soft soil,such as dredged sludge.

Displacement characteristics of CO_(2)flooding in extra-high water-cut reservoirs

Carbon dioxide(CO_(2))flooding is a widely applied recovery method during the tertiary recovery of oil and gas.A high water saturation condition in reservoirs could induce a‘water shielding’phenomenon after the injection of CO_(2).This would prevent contact between the injected gas and the residual oil,restricting the development of the miscible zone.A micro-visual experiment of dead-end models,used to observe the effect of a film of water on the miscibility process,indicates that CO_(2)can penetrate the water film and come into contact with the residual oil,although the mixing is significantly delayed.However,the dissolution loss of CO_(2)at high water-cut conditions is not negligible.The oil-water partition coefficient,defined as the ratio of CO_(2)solubility in an oil-brine/two-phase system,keeps constant for specific reservoir conditions and changes little with an injection gas.The NMR device shows that when CO_(2)flooding follows water flooding,the residual oil decreasesdnot only in medium and large pores but also in small and micro pores.At levels of higher water saturation,CO_(2)displacement is characterized initially by a low oil production rate and high water-cut.After the CO_(2)breakthrough,the water-cut decreases sharply and the oil production rate increases gradually.The response time of CO_(2)flooding at high watercut reservoirs is typically delayed and prolonged.These results were confirmed in a pilot test for CO_(2)flooding at the P1-1 well group of the Pucheng Oilfield.Observations from this pilot study also suggest that a larger injection gas pore volume available for CO_(2)injection is required to offset the dissolution loss in high water saturation conditions.

Using cemented paste backfill to tackle the phosphogypsum stockpile in China:A down-to-earth technology with new vitalities in pollutant retention and CO_(2) abatement

Phosphogypsum(PG),a hard-to-dissipate by-product of the phosphorus fertilizer production industry,places strain on the biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem functions of storage sites.This pervasive problem is already widespread worldwide and requires careful stewardship.In this study,we review the presence of potentially toxic elements(PTEs)in PG and describe their associations with soil properties,anthropogenic activities,and surrounding organisms.Then,we review different ex-/in-situ solutions for promoting the sustainable management of PG,with an emphasis on in-situ cemented paste backfill,which offers a cost-effective and highly scalable opportunity to advance the value-added recovery of PG.However,concerns related to the PTEs'retention capacity and long-term effectiveness limit the implementation of this strategy.Furthermore,given that the large-scale demand for ordinary Portland cement from this conventional option has resulted in significant CO_(2) emissions,the technology has recently undergone additional scrutiny to meet the climate mitigation ambition of the Paris Agreement and China's Carbon Neutrality Economy.Therefore,we discuss the ways by which we can integrate innovative strategies,including supplementary cementitious materials,alternative binder solutions,CO_(2) mineralization,CO_(2) curing,and optimization of the supply chain for the profitability and sustainability of PG remediation.However,to maximize the co-benefits in environmental,social,and economic,future research must bridge the gap between the feasibility of expanding these advanced pathways and the multidisciplinary needs.

Estimating shear strength of high-level pillars supported with cemented backfilling using the HoekeBrown strength criterion

Deep metal mines are often mined using the high-level pillars with subsequent cementation backfilling(HLSCB)mining method.At the design stage,it is therefore important to have a reasonable method for determining the shear strength of the high-level pillars(i.e.cohesion and internal friction angle)when they are supported by cemented backfilling.In this study,a formula was derived for the upper limit of the confining pressure σ3max on a high-level pillar supported by cemented backfilling in a deep metal mine.A new method of estimating the shear strength of such pillars was then proposed based on the Hoek eBrown failure criterion.Our analysis indicates that the horizontal stress σhh acting on the cemented backfill pillar can be simplified by expressing it as a constant value.A reasonable and effective value for σ3max can then be determined.The value of s3max predicted using the proposed method is generally less than 3 MPa.Within this range,the shear strength of the high-level pillar is accurately calculated using the equivalent MohreCoulomb theory.The proposed method can effectively avoid the calculation of inaccurate shear strength values for the high-level pillars when the original HoekeBrown criterion is used in the presence of large confining pressures,i.e.the situation in which the cohesion value is too large and the friction angle is too small can effectively be avoided.The proposed method is applied to a deep metal mine in China that is being excavated using the HLSCB method.The shear strength parameters of the high-level pillars obtained using the proposed method were input in the numerical simulations.The numerical results show that the recommended level heights and sizes of the high-level pillars and rooms in the mine are rational.

Water System Condition and Asset Replacement Prioritization

The goal of asset management is to identify and track the maintenance and replacement of assets that have reached their useful life. For that reason, gathering data and collecting information is a critical step when developing an asset management plan. Such data gathering includes physical and operational properties of the assets as well as collecting and tracking important events during the lifespan of the asset (i.e., pipe breaks, replacement year, maintenance performed, etc.). Critical factors in the asset management plan may be overlooked when there is no data or poor quality data. However, many utilities lack the resources for examining buried infrastructure and lack good quality work order data, so other methods of data collection are needed. The concept for this paper was to develop a means to acquire data on the assets for a condition assessment to identify pipes that were most likely to break and those with the highest consequences for same. Three utilities were used as examples. It was found that for buried infrastructure, much more information was known than anticipated but the actual predictions relied on only a few factors related to pipe type. However, there is a need to track the consequences, in this case breaks, which would indicate a failure. The latter would be useful for predicting future maintenance needs and the most at-risk assets, but is often missing in utility systems as many utilities do not adequately track breaks sufficiently. In this case two utilities were analyzed and predication on a third was developed.

Development of advanced anion exchange membrane from the view of the performance of water electrolysis cell

Green hydrogen produced by water electrolysis combined with renewable energy is a promising alternative to fossil fuels due to its high energy density with zero-carbon emissions.Among water electrolysis technologies,the anion exchange membrane(AEM) water electrolysis has gained intensive attention and is considered as the next-generation emerging technology due to its potential advantages,such as the use of low-cost non-noble metal catalysts,the relatively mature stack assembly process,etc.However,the AEM water electrolyzer is still in the early development stage of the kW-level stack,which is mainly attributed to severe performance decay caused by the core component,i.e.,AEM.Here,the review comprehensively presents the recent progress of advanced AEM from the view of the performance of water electrolysis cells.Herein,fundamental principles and critical components of AEM water electrolyzers are introduced,and work conditions of AEM water electrolyzers and AEM performance improvement strategies are discussed.The challenges and perspectives are also analyzed.

A study on the simulation of carbon and water fluxes of Dangxiong alpine meadow and its response to climate change

The alpine meadow ecosystem accounts for 27%of the total area of the Tibetan Plateau and is also one of the most important vegetation types.The Dangxiong alpine meadow ecosystem,located in the south-central part of the Tibetan Plateau,is a typical example.To understand the carbon and water fluxes,water use efficiency(WUE),and their responses to future climate change for the alpine meadow ecosystem in the Dangxiong area,two parameter estimation methods,the Model-independent Parameter Estimation(PEST)and the Dynamic Dimensions Search(DDS),were used to optimize the Biome-BGC model.Then,the gross primary productivity(GPP)and evapotranspiration(ET)were simulated.The results show that the DDS parameter calibration method has a better performance.The annual GPP and ET show an increasing trend,while the WUE shows a decreasing trend.Meanwhile,ET and GPP reach their peaks in July and August,respectively,and WUE shows a“dual-peak”pattern,reaching peaks in May and November.Furthermore,according to the simulation results for the next nearly 100 years,the ensemble average GPP and ET exhibit a significant increasing trend,and the growth rate under the SSP5–8.5 scenario is greater than that under the SSP2–4.5 scenario.WUE shows an increasing trend under the SSP2–4.5 scenario and a significant increasing trend under the SSP5–8.5 scenario.This study has important scientific significance for carbon and water cycle prediction and vegetation ecological protection on the Tibetan Plateau.

Inter-layer interference for multi-layered tight gas reservoir in the absence and presence of movable water

Due to the dissimilarity among different producing layers,the influences of inter-layer interference on the production performance of a multi-layer gas reservoir are possible.However,systematic studies of inter-layer interference for tight gas reservoirs are really limited,especially for those reservoirs in the presence of water.In this work,five types of possible inter-layer interferences,including both absence and presence of water,are identified for commingled production of tight gas reservoirs.Subsequently,a series of reservoir-scale and pore-scale numerical simulations are conducted to quantify the degree of influence of each type of interference.Consistent field evidence from the Yan'an tight gas reservoir(Ordos Basin,China)is found to support the simulation results.Additionally,suggestions are proposed to mitigate the potential inter-layer interferences.The results indicate that,in the absence of water,commingled production is favorable in two situations:when there is a difference in physical properties and when there is a difference in the pressure system of each layer.For reservoirs with a multi-pressure system,the backflow phenomenon,which significantly influences the production performance,only occurs under extreme conditions(such as very low production rates or well shut-in periods).When water is introduced into the multi-layer system,inter-layer interference becomes nearly inevitable.Perforating both the gas-rich layer and water-rich layer for commingled production is not desirable,as it can trigger water invasion from the water-rich layer into the gas-rich layer.The gas-rich layer might also be interfered with by water from the neighboring unperforated water-rich layer,where the water might break the barrier(eg weak joint surface,cement in fractures)between the two layers and migrate into the gas-rich layer.Additionally,the gas-rich layer could possibly be interfered with by water that accumulates at the bottom of the wellbore due to gravitational differentiation during shut-in operations.

Insights on advanced substrates for controllable fabrication of photoanodes toward efficient and stable photoelectrochemical water splitting

Conversion of solar energy into H_(2) by photoelectrochemical(PEC)water splitting is recognized as an ideal way to address the growing energy crisis and environmental issues.In a typical PEC cell,the construction of photoanodes is crucial to guarantee the high efficiency and stability of PEC reactions,which fundamentally rely on rationally designed semiconductors(as the active materials)and substrates(as the current collectors).In this review work,we start with a brief introduction of the roles of substrates in the PEC process.Then,we provide a systematic overview of representative strategies for the controlled fabrication of photoanodes on rationally designed substrates,including conductive glass,metal,sapphire,silicon,silicon carbide,and flexible substrates.Finally,some prospects concerning the challenges and research directions in this area are proposed.

Experimental study on the effect of water absorption level on rockburst occurrence of sandstone

To investigate the mechanism of rockburst prevention by spraying water onto the surrounding rocks,15 experiments are performed considering different water absorption levels on a single face.High-speed photography and acoustic emission(AE)system are used to monitor the rockburst process.The effect of water on sandstone rockburst and the prevention mechanism of water on sandstone rockburst are analyzed from the perspective of energy and failure mode.The results show that the higher the ab-sorption degree,the lower the intensity of the rockburst after absorbing water on single side of sand-stone.This is reflected in the fact that with the increase in the water absorption level,the ejection velocity of rockburst fragments is smaller,the depth of the rockburst pit is shallower,and the AE energy is smaller.Under the water absorption level of 100%,the magnitude of rockburst intensity changes from medium to slight.The prevention mechanism of water on sandstone rockburst is that water reduces the capacity of sandstone to store strain energy and accelerates the expansion of shear cracks,which is not conducive to the occurrence of plate cracking before rockburst,and destroys the conditions for rockburst incubation.

An Evaluation of Phase Behaviors of the Oil-Gas-Water System in the Displacement of Crude Oil with CO_(2)

CO_(2)dissolution into an aqueous phase and water evaporation into a gaseous phase takes place during CO_(2)injection into an oil reservoir.This study aims to evaluate the phase behaviors of the oil-gas-water system in the displacement of crude oil by CO_(2).The composition of the JL oilfield in the northeast of China is taken as an example.The flash calculation of the oil-gas-water system was performed,based on the method presented by Li and Nghiem.The research results show that CO_(2)dissolution in the aqueous phase declines as the NaCl concentration in formation water rises.CO_(2)injection is beneficial for the evaporation of formation water.The NaCl concentration in formation water has little effect on water evaporation and dissolved-gas escape.When the injection-gas mole fraction of CO_(2)is 0.5,CO_(2)injection can reverse the phase behavior of the petroleum mixture and the oil-gas system is converted to a pure gas-condensate system.For CO_(2)injection,water vapor has little effect on the miscibility of multiple contacts,but can reduce the miscibility of the first contact.

Grain yield and N uptake of maize in response to increased plant density under reduced water and nitrogen supply conditions

The development of modern agriculture requires the reduction of water and chemical N fertilizer inputs.Increasing the planting density can maintain higher yields,but also consumes more of these restrictive resources.However,whether an increased maize density can compensate for the negative effects of reduced water and N supply on grain yield and N uptake in the arid irrigated areas remains unknown.This study is part of a long-term positioning trial that started in 2016.A split-split plot field experiment of maize was implemented in the arid irrigated area of northwestern China in 2020 to 2021.The treatments included two irrigation levels:local conventional irrigation reduced by 20%(W1,3,240 m^(3)ha^(-1))and local conventional irrigation(W2,4,050 m^(3)ha^(-1));two N application rates:local conventional N reduced by 25%(N1,270 kg ha^(-1))and local conventional N(360 kg ha^(-1));and three planting densities:local conventional density(D1,75,000 plants ha^(-1)),density increased by 30%(D2,97,500 plants ha-1),and density increased by 60%(D3,120,000 plants ha^(-1)).Our results showed that the grain yield and aboveground N accumulation of maize were lower under the reduced water and N inputs,but increasing the maize density by 30% can compensate for the reductions of grain yield and aboveground N accumulation caused by the reduced water and N supply.When water was reduced while the N application rate remained unchanged,increasing the planting density by 30% enhanced grain yield by 13.9% and aboveground N accumulation by 15.3%.Under reduced water and N inputs,increasing the maize density by 30% enhanced N uptake efficiency and N partial factor productivity,and it also compensated for the N harvest index and N metabolic related enzyme activities.Compared with W2N2D1,the N uptake efficiency and N partial factor productivity increased by 28.6 and 17.6%under W1N1D2.W1N2D2 had 8.4% higher N uptake efficiency and 13.9% higher N partial factor productivity than W2N2D1.W1N2D2 improved urease activity and nitrate reductase activity by 5.4% at the R2(blister)stage and 19.6% at the V6(6th leaf)stage,and increased net income and the benefit:cost ratio by 22.1 and 16.7%,respectively.W1N1D2 and W1N2D2 reduced the nitrate nitrogen and ammoniacal nitrogen contents at the R6 stage in the 40-100 cm soil layer,compared with W2N2D1.In summary,increasing the planting density by 30% can compensate for the loss of grain yield and aboveground N accumulation under reduced water and N inputs.Meanwhile,increasing the maize density by 30% improved grain yield and aboveground N accumulation when water was reduced by 20% while the N application rate remained constant in arid irrigation areas.

CsABF3-activated CsSUT1 pathway is implicated in pre-harvest water deficit inducing sucrose accumulation in citrus fruit

Pre-harvest water deficit(PHWD)plays an important role in sugar accumulation of citrus fruit.However,the mechanism is not known well.Here,it was confirmed that PHWD promoted sucrose accumulation of citrus fruit,but had limited effect on fructose,glucose and total acid.A sucrose transporter,Cs SUT1,which localizes to the plasma membrane,was demonstrated to function in sucrose transport induced by PHWD.Compared to wild-type,Cs SUT1 overexpression in citrus calli stimulated sucrose,fructose and glucose accumulation,while its silencing in juice sacs reduced sucrose accumulation.Increased sugar accumulation in transgenic lines enhanced plant drought tolerance,and resulted in decreased electrolyte leakage,malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide contents,as well as increased superoxide dismutase activity and proline contents.An abscisic acid(ABA)-responsive transcription factor,Cs ABF3,was found with a same expression pattern with Cs SUT1 under PHWD.Yeast one-hybrid,electrophoretic mobility shift assay and dual-luciferase assays all revealed that Cs ABF3 directly bound with the Cs SUT1 promoter by ABA responsive elements.When Cs ABF3 was overexpressed in citrus calli,the sucrose,fructose and glucose concentration increased correspondingly.Further,transgenic studies demonstrated that Cs ABF3 could affect sucrose accumulation by regulating Cs SUT1.Overall,this study revealed a regulation of Cs ABF3 promoting Cs SUT1 expression and sucrose accumulation in response to PHWD.Our results provide a detail insight into the quality formation of citrus fruit.

Improvement of Cemented Gangue Backfill Material with Barium Hydroxide in Acid Mine Water

As a kind of green concrete,the mechanical properties and durability of cemented gangue backfill material(CGBM)will be affected if they are in acid mine water with sulfate ions in the long term.To improve the performance of CGBM in acid mine water with sulfate ions,CGBM specimens with different doses of barium hydroxide were immersed in sulfuric acid solutions of different concentrations for 270 days.The changes of mass,ultrasonic pulse velocity(UPV)and compressive strength of the specimens at different ages were analyzed.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and X-ray diffraction(XRD)were used to analyze the microstructure and composition of the specimens.The results show that incorporation of barium hydroxide into CGBM specimen can promote the formation of barium sulfate precipitation and inhibit the generation of corrosion products such as ettringite.Meanwhile,barium sulfate precipitation blocks the pore channel invaded by sulfuric acid solution,delaying the progress of corrosion reaction and making the interior of CGBM specimen more complete.And the specimen with 2.0 kg/m^(3)barium hydroxide was more effective in improving performance.This study provides a basis for the ratio design of CGBM in acid mine water with sulfate ions.

Mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of soft rock with different water contents under dynamic disturbance

Uniaxial compression tests and cyclic loading acoustic emission tests were conducted on 20%,40%,60%,80%,dry and saturated muddy sandstone by using a creep impact loading system to investigate the mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of soft rocks with different water contents under dynamic disturbance.The mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of muddy sandstones at different water contents were analysed.Results of experimental studies show that water is a key factor in the mechanical properties of rocks,softening them,increasing their porosity,reducing their brittleness and increasing their plasticity.Under uniaxial compression,the macroscopic damage characteristics of the muddy sandstone change from mono-bevel shear damage and‘X’type conjugate bevel shear damage to a roadway bottom-drum type damage as the water content increases.Dynamic perturbation has a strengthening effect on the mechanical properties of samples with 60%and less water content,and a weakening effect on samples with 80%and more water content,but the weakening effect is not obvious.Macroscopic damage characteristics of dry samples remain unchanged,water samples from shear damage and tensile–shear composite damage gradually transformed into cleavage damage,until saturation transformation monoclinic shear damage.The evolution of acoustic emission energy and event number is mainly divided into four stages:loading stage(Ⅰ),dynamic loading stage(Ⅱ),yield failure stage(Ⅲ),and post-peak stage(Ⅳ),the acoustic emission characteristics of the stages were different for different water contents.The characteristic value of acoustic emission key point frequency gradually decreases,and the damage degree of the specimen increases,corresponding to low water content—high main frequency—low damage and high water content—low main frequency—high damage.

Future changes in precipitation and water availability over the Tibetan Plateau projected by CMIP6 models constrained by climate sensitivity

Precipitation projections over the Tibetan Plateau(TP)show diversity among existing studies,partly due to model uncertainty.How to develop a reliable projection remains inconclusive.Here,based on the IPCC AR6–assessed likely range of equilibrium climate sensitivity(ECS)and the climatological precipitation performance,the authors constrain the CMIP6(phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project)model projection of summer precipitation and water availability over the TP.The best estimates of precipitation changes are 0.24,0.25,and 0.45 mm d^(−1)(5.9%,6.1%,and 11.2%)under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway(SSP)scenarios of SSP1–2.6,SSP2–4.5,and SSP5–8.5 from 2050–2099 relative to 1965–2014,respectively.The corresponding constrained projections of water availability measured by precipitation minus evaporation(P–E)are 0.10,0.09,and 0.22 mm d^(−1)(5.7%,4.9%,and 13.2%),respectively.The increase of precipitation and P–E projected by the high-ECS models,whose ECS values are higher than the upper limit of the likely range,are about 1.7 times larger than those estimated by constrained projections.Spatially,there is a larger increase in precipitation and P–E over the eastern TP,while the western part shows a relatively weak difference in precipitation and a drier trend in P–E.The wetter TP projected by the high-ECS models resulted from both an approximately 1.2–1.4 times stronger hydrological sensitivity and additional warming of 0.6℃–1.2℃ under all three scenarios during 2050–2099.This study emphasizes that selecting climate models with climate sensitivity within the likely range is crucial to reducing the uncertainty in the projection of TP precipitation and water availability changes.

Influence of water coupling coefficient on the blasting effect of red sandstone specimens

This study investigates the impact of different water coupling coefficients on the blasting effect of red sandstone.The analysis is based on the theories of detonation wave and elastic wave,focusing on the variation in wall pressure of the blasting holes.Using DDNP explosive as the explosive load,blasting tests were conducted on red sandstone specimens with four different water coupling coefficients:1.20,1.33,1.50,and 2.00.The study examines the morphologies of the rock specimens after blasting under these different water coupling coefficients.Additionally,the fractal dimensions of the surface cracks resulting from the blasting were calculated to provide a quantitative evaluation of the extent of rock damage.CT scanning and 3D reconstruction were performed on the post-blasting specimens to visually depict the extent of damage and fractures within the rock.Additionally,the volume fractal dimension and damage degree of the post-blasting specimens are calculated.The findings are then combined with numerical simulation to facilitate auxiliary analysis.The results demonstrate that an increase in the water coupling coefficient leads to a reduction in the peak pressure on the hole wall and the crushing zone,enabling more of the explosion energy to be utilized for crack propagation following the explosion.The specimens exhibited distinct failure patterns,resulting in corresponding changes in fractal dimensions.The simulated pore wall pressure–time curve validated the derived theoretical results,whereas the stress cloud map and explosion energy-time curve demonstrated the buffering effect of the water medium.As the water coupling coefficient increases,the buffering effect of the water medium becomes increasingly prominent.

An Experimental Study on the Reinforcement of Weakly-Consolidated Shallow Formation in Deep Water Using an Epoxy Resin-Based Fluid

The mechanical properties of Portland cement differ from the weakly consolidated shallow formation in deep water.This results in undesired abrupt changes in the compressive strength and elastic modulus at the cement–formation interface.In this study,a water-borne epoxy resin was applied as a strengthening material to reinforce the weakly consolidated shallow formation and protect the cement sheath from potential failure.The mechanical properties of the unconsolidated clay were tested,including their changes with increases in the temperature and curing time.In addition,the effects of the seawater,cement slurry alkaline filtrate,and saltwater drilling fluid were evaluated.As confirmed by the results,the strengthening fluid was excellent at reinforcing the unconsolidated clay,with a compressive strength of 2.49 MPa(after curing for 7 days),even at a dosage of 5%.A cement slurry filtrate with a high pH was suitable to produce the required strengthening of the formation,especially its early age strength.It should also be pointed out that the used fluid exhibited good compatibility with the saltwater drilling fluid and seawater behaved well as a diluent for the strengthening fluid.