Efficient placement technology of proppants based on structural stabilizers

Fiber is highly escapable in conventional slickwater,making it difficult to form fiber-proppant agglomerate with proppant and exhibit limited effectiveness.To solve these problems,a novel structure stabilizer(SS)is developed.Through microscopic structural observations and performance evaluations in indoor experiments,the mechanism of proppant placement under the action of the SS and the effects of the SS on proppant placement dimensions and fracture conductivity were elucidated.The SS facilitates the formation of robust fiber-proppant agglomerates by polymer,fiber,and quartz sand.Compared to bare proppants,these agglomerates exhibit reduced density,increased volume,and enlarged contact area with the fluid during settlement,leading to heightened buoyancy and drag forces,ultimately resulting in slower settling velocities and enhanced transportability into deeper regions of the fracture.Co-injecting the fiber and the SS alongside the proppant into the reservoir effectively reduces the fiber escape rate,increases the proppant volume in the slickwater,and boosts the proppant placement height,conveyance distance and fracture conductivity,while also decreasing the proppant backflow.Experimental results indicate an optimal SS mass fraction of 0.3%.The application of this SS in over 80 wells targeting tight gas,shale oil,and shale gas reservoirs has substantiated its strong adaptability and general suitability for meeting the production enhancement,cost reduction,and sand control requirements of such wells.

Structural and electrochemical stabilization enabling high-energy P3-type Cr-based layered oxide cathode for K-ion batteries

Layered-type transition metal(TM)oxides are considered as one of the most promising cathodes for K-ion batteries because of the large theoretical gravimetric capacity by low molar mass.However,they suffer from severe structural change by de/intercalation and diffusion of K^(+)ions with large ionic size,which results in not only much lower reversible capacity than the theoretical capacity but also poor power capability.Thus,it is important to enhance the structural stability of the layered-type TM oxides for outstanding electrochemical behaviors under the K-ion battery system.Herein,it is investigated that the substitution of the appropriate Ti^(4+)contents enables a highly enlarged reversible capacity of P3-type KxCrO_(2) using combined studies of first-principles calculation and various experiments.Whereas the pristine P3-type KxCrO_(2) just exhibits the reversible capacity of∼120 mAh g^(−1) in the voltage range of 1.5-4.0 V(vs.K^(+)/K),the∼0.61 mol K^(+)corresponding to∼150 mAh g^(−1) can be reversible de/intercalated at the structure of P3-type K0.71[Cr_(0.75)Ti_(0.25)]O_(2) under the same conditions.Furthermore,even at the high current density of 788 mA g^(−1),the specific capacity of P3-type K0.71[Cr_(0.75)Ti_(0.25)]O_(2) is∼120 mAh g^(−1),which is∼81 times larger than that of the pristine P3-type KxCrO_(2).It is believed that this research can provide an effective strategy to improve the electrochemical performances of the cathode materials suffered by severe structural change that occurred during charge/discharge under not only K-ion battery system but also other rechargeable battery systems.

Modification strategies improving the electrochemical and structural stability of high-Ni cathode materials

With the increasing spotlight in electric vehicles,there is a growing demand for high-energy-density batteries to enhance driving range.Consequently,several studies have been conducted on high-energy-density LiNi_(x)Co_(y)Mn_(z)O_(2)cathodes.However,there is a limit to permanent performance deterioration because of side reactions caused by moisture in the atmosphere and continuous microcracks during cycling as the Ni content to express high energy increases and the content of Mn and Co that maintain structural and electrochemical stabilization decreases.The direct modification of the surface and bulk regions aims to enhance the capacity and long-term performance of high-Ni cathode materials.Therefore,an efficient modification requires a study based on a thorough understanding of the degradation mechanisms in the surface and bulk region.In this review,a comprehensive analysis of various modifications,including doping,coating,concentration gradient,and single crystals,is conducted to solve degradation issues along with an analysis of the overall degradation mechanism occurring in high-Ni cathode materials.It also summarizes recent research developments related to the following modifications,aims to provide notable points and directions for post-studies,and provides valuable references for the commercialization of stable high-energy-density cathode materials.

Enhancing Na^(+) diffusion dynamics and structural stability of O3-NaMn_(0.5)Ni_(0.5)O_(2)cathode by Sc and Zn dual-substitution

Sc and Zn were introduced into O3-NaMn_(0.5)Ni_(0.5)O_(2)(NaMN)using the combination of solution combustion and solid-state method.The effect of Sc and Zn dual-substitution on Na^(+) diffusion dynamics and structural stability of NaMN was investigated.The physicochemical characterizations suggest that the introduction of Sc and Zn broaden Na^(+) diffusion channels and weaken the Na—O bonds,thereby facilitating the diffusion of sodium ions.Simulations indicate that the Sc and Zn dual-substitution decreases the diffusion barrier of Na-ions and improves the conductivity of the material.The dual-substituted NaMn_(0.5)Ni_(0.4)Sc_(0.04)Zn_(0.04)O_(2)(Na MNSZ44)cathode delivers impressive cycle stability with capacity retention of 71.2%after 200 cycles at 1C and 54.8%after 400 cycles at 5C.Additionally,the full cell paired with hard carbon anode exhibits a remarkable long-term cycling stability,showing capacity retention of 64.1%after 250 cycles at 1C.These results demonstrate that Sc and Zn dual-substitution is an effective strategy to improve the Na^(+) diffusion dynamics and structural stability of NaMN.

Effects of Fe solid solute on grain boundaries of bi-crystal Cu: A molecular dynamics simulation

Grain boundaries(GBs)play a crucial role on the structural stability and mechanical properties of Cu and its alloys.In this work,molecular dynamics(MD)simulations are employed to study the effects of Fe solutes on the formation energy,excess volume,dislocations and melting behaviors of GBs in CuFe alloys.It is illustrated that Fe solute affects the structural stability of Cu GBs substantially,the formation energy of GBs is reduced,but the thickness and melting point of GBs are increased,that is,the structural stability of Cu GBs is significantly improved owing to the Fe solutes.A strong scaling law exists between the formation energy,excess volume,thickness and melting point of GBs.Therefore,Fe solid solute plays an important role in the characteristics of GBs in bi-crystal Cu.

A Facile Li_(2)TiO_(3) Surface Modification to Improve the Structure Stability and Electrochemical Performance of Full Concentration Gradient Li-Rich Oxides

Full concentration gradient lithium-rich layered oxides are catching lots of interest as the next generation cathode for lithium-ion batteries due to their high discharge voltage,reduced voltage decay and enhanced rate performance,whereas the high lithium residues on its surface impairs the structure stability and long-term cycle performance.Herein,a facile multifunctional surface modification method is implemented to eliminate surface lithium residues of full concentration gradient lithium-rich layered oxides by a wet chemistry reaction with tetrabutyl titanate and the post-annealing process.It realizes not only a stable Li_(2)TiO_(3)coating layer with 3D diffusion channels for fast Li^(+)ions transfer,but also dopes partial Ti^(4+)ions into the sub-surface region of full concentration gradient lithium-rich layered oxides to further strengthen its crystal structure.Consequently,the modified full concentration gradient lithium-rich layered oxides exhibit improved structure stability,elevated thermal stability with decomposition temperature from 289.57℃to 321.72℃,and enhanced cycle performance(205.1 mAh g^(-1)after 150 cycles)with slowed voltage drop(1.67 mV per cycle).This work proposes a facile and integrated modification method to enhance the comprehensive performance of full concentration gradient lithium-rich layered oxides,which can facilitate its practical application for developing higher energy density lithium-ion batteries.

Study on structural stability,elastic and electronic properties for β-Ti under pressure based on first principles

The structural stability, elastic and electronic properties under pressure at 0 K for β-Ti have been investigated by per-forming first-principles calculations. With the increase of pressure, the structure of β-Ti becomes stabler, which is further con-firmed by the calculation for density of state （DOS）. The phase transition pressure of is about 64. 3 GPa, which is consist-ent with other theoretical predictions （63. 7 GPa） and the experimental result （50 GPa）. The pressure dependence of elastic constants shows that the low-pressure limit for a mechanically stable β-Ti is about 50 GPa with low Young？s modulus value of about 30. 01 GPa, which approaches the value of a human bone （30 GPa）. In addition, the pressure dependence of bulk modu-lus B, shear modulus G, Young’s modulus E,Poisson’s ratio σ,aggregate sound velocities,and ductility/brittleness under different pressures were also discussed. B, G and E ascend monotonously with increasing pressure, while a descends. β-Ti re-mains ductile by analysis of B/G under considered pressures.

First-principles calculations of structural,elastic and electronic properties of AB_(2)type intermetallics in Mg–Zn–Ca–Cu alloy

Electronic structure and elastic properties of MgCu_(2),Mg_(2)Ca and MgZn_(2)phases were investigated by means of first-principles calculations from CASTEP program based on density functional theory(DFT).The calculated lattice parameters were in good agreement with the experimental and literature values.The calculated heats of formation and cohesive energies shown that MgCu_(2)has the strongest alloying ability and structural stability.The elastic constants of MgCu_(2),Mg_(2)Ca and MgZn_(2)phases were calculated,the bulk moduli,shear moduli,Young's moduli and Poisson's ratio were derived.The calculated results shown that MgCu_(2),Mg_(2)Ca and MgZn_(2)are all ductile phases.Among the three phases,MgCu_(2)has the strongest stiffness and the plasticity of MgZn_(2)phase is the best.The density of states(DOS),Mulliken electron occupation number and charge density difference of MgCu_(2),Mg_(2)Ca and MgZn_(2)phases were discussed to analyze the mechanism of structural stability and mechanical properties.

Assessment of structural stability in Bohai Sea area based on AHP-GDM model

The AHP-GDM model is used for the assessment of structural stability, with the Bohai Sea area as an exam- ple. In this model, the credit degree of each expert is calculated through the assessment matrix based on the similarity and diversity of vector. The comprehensive opinions of expert panel are quantitatively obtained by considering the effect ofcredit degree. According to the geological structural setting, the Bohai Sea is di- vided into twelve assessment zones of structural stability by non-uniform element method. The structural stability grade of each zone is obtained on the basis of the latest geophysical data, earthquake statistical data, and the information of fault activities, current stress field and crustal deformation. The results show that there are one relatively stable area, three relatively sub-stable areas, six relatively sub-unstable areas and two relatively unstable areas. The assessment results of non-uniform element method are very close with those of uniform grid method with size of 0.25 in longitude direction and 0.14 in latitude direction. However the workload of non-uniform element method is only 1 / 16 of the latter. Compared with traditional assessment methods of structural stability, a more objective and reliable assessment result can be obtained by combining non-uniform element method and AHP-GDM model.

Structural Stabilities and Electronic Structures of Ga Atomic Chains

The structural stabilities and electronic structures of Ga atomic chains are studied by the first-principles plane wave pseudopotential method based on the density functional theory. The present calculations show that gallium can form planar chains in linear-, zigzag- and ladder-form one-dimensional structures. The most stable one among the studied structures is the zigzag chain with a unit cell rather close to equilateral triangles with four nearest neighbors, and all the other structures are metastable. The relative structural stability, the energy bands and the charge densities are discussed based on the ab initio calculations and the Jahn-Teller effect.

Structural stability of methane hydrate at high pressures

The structural stability of methane hydrate under pressure at room temperature was examined by both in-situ single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction techniques on samples with structure types I, II, and H in diamond-anvil ceils. The diffraction data for types II （slI） and H （sH） were refined to the known structures with space groups Fd3m and P63/mmc, respectively. Upon compression, sl methane hydrate transforms to the sll phase at 120 MPa, and then to the sH phase at 600 MPa. The slI methane hydrate was found to coexist locally with sI phase up to 500 MPa and with sH phase up to 600 MPa. The pure sH structure was found to be stable between 600 and 900 MPa. Methane hydrate decomposes at pressures above 3 GPa to form methane with the orientationally disordered Fm3m structure and ice VII （Pn3m）. The results highlight the role of guest （CH4）-host （H2O） interactions in the stabilization of the hydrate structures under pressure.

Structural optimization and segregation behavior of quaternary alloy nanoparticles based on simulated annealing algorithm

Alloy nanoparticles exhibit higher catalytic activity than monometallic nanoparticles, and their stable structures are of importance to their applications. We employ the simulated annealing algorithm to systematically explore the stable structure and segregation behavior of tetrahexahedral Pt–Pd–Cu–Au quaternary alloy nanoparticles. Three alloy nanoparticles consisting of 443 atoms, 1417 atoms, and 3285 atoms are considered and compared. The preferred positions of atoms in the nanoparticles are analyzed. The simulation results reveal that Cu and Au atoms tend to occupy the surface, Pt atoms preferentially occupy the middle layers, and Pd atoms tend to segregate to the inner layers. Furthermore, Au atoms present stronger surface segregation than Cu ones. This study provides a fundamental understanding on the structural features and segregation phenomena of multi-metallic nanoparticles.

Structural stability and electrical properties of AlB_2-type MnB_2 under high pressure

The structural stability and electrical properties of AlB2-type MnB2 were studied based on high pressure angledispersive x-ray diffraction, in situ electrical resistivity measured in a diamond anvil cell(DAC) and first-principles calculations under high pressure. The x-ray diffraction results show that the structure of AlB2-type MnB2 remains stable up to 42.6 GPa. From the equation of state of MnB2, we obtained a bulk modulus value of 169.9±3.7 GPa with a fixed pressure derivative of 4, which indicates that AlB2-type MnB2 is a hard and incompressible material. The electrical resistance undergoes a transition at about 19.3 GPa, which can be explained by a transition of manganese 3d electrons from localization to delocalization under high pressure.

Exact Geometric Relationships, Symmetry Breaking and Structural Stability for Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

We pioneered a study about how the geometric relationship of single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWCNT) is influenced by curvature factor and non-planar geometry factor in cylindrical coordinate system based on the assumption of complete symmetry. The bond length and angle of every carbon-carbon bonds are determined by using the principle of the minimum energy. The results of the paper include(1) From the calculation result, the symmetry breaking appears for chiral carbon nanotubes, while the part symmetry appears for achiral carbon nanotubes with increasing curvature.(2) The synergistic effect of bond lengths and bond angles is first found.(3) We conclude that the influence of non-planar geometry factor can be completely ignored on bond lengths and bond angles when the curvature parameter has been included in the model.(4)The two fractal dimensions are given from the nanoscale to the macroscale for zigzag topology and armchair topology respectively. Fractal dimensions of SWCNT show special characteristics, varying with the length of SWCNT until the lengths approach infinity. The close and inevitable correlations among curvature, symmetry breaking and stability of SWCNTs can be summed up as: the increase of curvature causes symmetry breaking,and such symmetry breaking will further reduce the structural stability.

The Structural Stability of Alpha-Helix Determined by the Preference of Amino Acids

To accomplish their functions, proteins have to achieve different conformations accompanied by conformational transitions. However, the relationship between the preference of amino acids and the stability of the secondary structure is still unclear. Here we perform molecular simulations on a series of helical structures. Our data show that the dissociation energy of the helical structure is related to the preference of amino acids, and the electrostatic repulsion of the residue i and i ＋ 3/4 with the same sign of charge destabilizes the alpha helix.

Lyapunov Criteria for Structural Stability of Supply Chain System

In this paper, based on Cobb-Douglas production function, the structural stability of the supply chain system are analyzed by employing Lyapunov criteria. That the supply chain system structure, with the variance of the rate of re-production input funding, becomes unstable is proved. Noticeably, the solutions shows that when the optimal combination of input parameter element, the qualitative properties of supply chain system change and the supply chain system becomes unstable.

LaB6 Work Function and Structural Stability under High Pressure

The work functions of the （110） and （10（3） surfaces of LaB6 are determined from ambient pressure to 39.1 GPa. The work function of the （110） surface slowly decreases but that of the （100） surface remains at a relatively constant value. To determine the reason for this difference, the electron density distribution （EDD） is determined from high-pressure single-crystal x-ray diffraction data by the maximum entropy method. The EDD results show that the chemical bond properties in LaB6 play a key role also investigated by single-crystal x-ray diffraction. In observed from ambient pressure to 39.1 GPa. The structural stability of LaB6 under high pressure is this study, no structural or electronic phase transition is

Study on mineral structural stability of marine 1nm manganate

In order to study the phase transformation between 1nm manganate and 0.7nm manganate, a series of Slum Me^(2+) manganates were made after the synthetic 1nm Na^+ manganate substituted with different kinds of divalent cations. The X-ray diffraction analysis of wet S1nm Me^(2+) manganates after 24 h room temperature dry showed that their basal d-spacing had been changed, indicating that there was phase transformation between 1nm and 0.7nm manganates. Take 1nm manganates with unstable structure collapsed into 0. 7nm manganate by losing one interlayer OH-H_2O, while those with stable structure still retained the 1nm d-spacing. This factor reminds us that the manganese nodule samples must be kept in wet condition to avoid the misleading results. The structural stabdity of 1nn manganate is mainly controlled by the interlayer divalent cations. There is a possitive correlation between the amount of cations in the interlayer and the structural stability, while the capacity of different canons in stabilizing the structure of 1nm manganate is as follows: Ni > Cu > Co > Zn > Ca>Mg > Na.

Structural stability and electronic properties of carbon star lattice monolayer

By means of the first-principles calculations, we have investigated the structural stability and electronic properties of carbon star lattice monolayer and nanoribbons. The phase stability of the carbon star lattice is verified through phononmode analysis and room temperature molecular dynamics simulations. The carbon star lattice is found to be metallic due to the large states across the Fermi-level contributed by Pz orbital. Furthermore, the nanoribbons are also found to be metallic and no spin polarization occurs, except for the narrowest nanoribbon with one C12 ring, which has a ferromagnetic ground state. Our results show that carbon star lattice monolayer and nanoribbons have rich electronic properties with great potential in future electronic nanodevices.

Structural stability of single-layered LaNi_4.25Al_0.75 film and its electro-chemical hydrogen-storage properties

AB5-based hydrogen storage thin fdms （LaNi4.25Al0.75）, deposited on Cu substrate by dc magnetron sputtering were investigated in this study. X-ray diffraction （XRD） revealed that the microstructure of the layer was in crystal form. SEM and AFM analyses proved that the film appeared to be rather rough with numerous randomly sized pores of approximately 15-40 in nm diameter. Structural stability of the film was examined by the combined analyses of DSC, XRD, and SEM, which indicated that this film maintained its structural stability below 500 K or so, and a network structure was observed on the film after being heated at 700 K for 30 min. Electrochemical hydrogen-storage properties of the films were investigated by simulated battery tests. It was found that single-layered LaNi4.25A10.75 film exhibited electrochemical hydrogen-storage properties similar to typical AB5 alloys in bulk, and the maximum discharge capacity of the film was about 220 mAh/g. After 20 charge/discharge cycles, small needle-shaped aluminium oxide was formed on some fractions of the film surface.