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At least 181 records · Page 10

Use of reinforced inorganic cement materials for spark wire and drift chamber wire frames

The results of a survey, materials test, and analysis study directed toward the development of an inorganic glass-fiber reinforced cement material for use in the construction of space qualified spark wire frames and drift chamber frames are presented. The purpose for this research was to evaluate the feasibility of using glass fiber reinforced cement (GFRC) for large dimensioned structural frames for supporting a number of precisely located spark wires in multiple planes. A survey of the current state of the art in fiber reinforced cement materials was made; material sample mixes were made and tested to determine their laboratory performances. Tests conducted on sample materials showed that compressive and flexural strengths of this material could approach values which would enable fabrication of structural spark wire frames.

Source record↗

Cement and concrete

To produce lunar cement, high-temperature processing will be required. It may be possible to make calcium-rich silicate and aluminate for cement by solar heating of lunar pyroxene and feldspar, or chemical treatment may be required to enrich the calcium and aluminum in lunar soil. The effects of magnesium and ferrous iron present in the starting materials and products would need to be evaluated. So would the problems of grinding to produce cement, mixing, forming in vacuo and low gravity, and minimizing water loss.

Corley, Gene↗

Soil temperatures and stability of ice-cemented ground in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

Year-round temperature measurements at 1600 m elevation during 1994 in the Asgard Range Antarctica, indicate that the mean annual frost point of the ice-cemented ground, 25 cm below the surface, is -21.7 +/- 0.2 degrees C and the mean annual frost point of the atmosphere is -27.5 +/- 1.0 degrees C. The corresponding mean annual temperatures are -24.9 degrees C and -23.3 degrees C. These results imply that there is a net flux of water vapour from the ice to the atmosphere resulting in a recession of the ice-cemented ground by about 0.4-0.6 mm yr-1. The level of the ice-cemented permafrost is about 12 cm below the level of dry permafrost. The summer air temperatures would have to increase about 7 degrees C for thawing temperatures to just reach the top of the subsurface ice. Either subsurface ice at this location is evaporating over time or there are sporadic processes that recharge the ice and maintain equilibrium over long timescales.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗

Carbonate Cements from the Sverrefjell and Sigurdfjell Volcanoes, Svalbard Norway: Analogs for Martian Carbonates

The Sverrefjell and Sigurdfjell volcanic complexes erupted at ~1Ma on Svalbard, Norway. Sverrefjell is a cone of cinders, pillow lavas and dikes; Sigurdfjell is elongate in outcrop and may represent a fissure eruption [1]. The lavas of both volcanos were volatile rich. The volcanos erupted under ice and were subsequently dissected by glaciation (glacial eratics are present on most of Sverrefjell, even on its summit). Eruption beneath an ice sheet is inferred, based on the presence of pillow lavas from near sea level to ~1000 m above sea level. Sverrefjell contains the largest fraction of ultramafic xenoliths of any volcanic complex in the world, in places accounting for as much as 50% of the volume of the outcrop. The Sverrefjell and Sigurdfell volcanos contain carbonate cements of several varieties: (1) Amundsen [2] reported Mg-Fe-rich carbonate in sub-mm globules in basalts and ultramafic xenoliths from the volcanos. These globules are the best terrestrial analogs to the carbonate globules in the Mars meteorite ALH84001 [3]. (2) Thick (1-3 cm) coatings of carbonate cement drape the walls of vertical volcanic pipes or conduits on the flanks and near the present summit of Sverrefjell. Similar occurrences are found on Sigurdfjell. (3) Breccia-filled pipes or vents occur on Sverrefjell and Siggurdfjell in which the breccia fragments are cemented by carbonate. The fragments themselves commonly contain carbonate globules similar to those found in the basalts and ultramafic xenoliths.

Blake, D. F.↗

Project Methods to Enhance Wellbore Cement Integrity with Microbially-Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

The goal of this project was to develop improved methods for sealing compromised wellbore cement in leaking oil and gas wells, thereby reducing the risk of unwanted upward fluid migration. Novel methods for improving wellbore integrity, such as microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP), can reduce leakage potential, improve the safety of fossil fuel extraction, improve the public perception of hydraulic fracturing, and promote environmentally-prudent unconventional oil and gas development. Microbes, with the urease enzyme, can catalyze the chemical reaction of urea hydrolysis to induce the precipitation of calcium carbonate which can be used as a cementitious material to seal leakage pathways. In this project, methods to promote robust bio-composite cementitious materials were designed and tested in the laboratory. Scale-up of those methods were tested in meso-scale reactor systems and in field applications. In this report, in Section One, we describe laboratory efforts to develop injection strategies to promote precipitation in wellbore analogs and determine the strength of the bio-composite cements as compared to fine cement. In Section Two, we describe the efforts to scale up the work and study the use of materials that can be used in field application, for example exploring the use of calcium chloride ice melt or urea fertilizer as source chemicals. In Section Three, the three field trials (methods and results) performed as part of the project are described and summarized. At the end of the report is a comprehensive summary and conclusion section which highlights the key findings of the project. The work performed during this project significantly advanced the technology readiness level (TRL) of the MICP wellbore sealing strategy.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Methods to Enhance Wellbore Cement Integrity with Microbially-Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) (Final Scientific/ Technical Report)

The goal of this project was to develop improved methods for sealing compromised wellbore cement in leaking oil and gas wells, thereby reducing the risk of unwanted upward fluid migration. Novel methods for improving wellbore integrity, such as microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP), can reduce leakage potential, improve the safety of fossil fuel extraction, improve the public perception of hydraulic fracturing, and promote environmentally-prudent unconventional oil and gas development. Microbes, with the urease enzyme, can catalyze the chemical reaction of urea hydrolysis to induce the precipitation of calcium carbonate which can be used as a cementitious material to seal leakage pathways. In this project, methods to promote robust bio-composite cementitious materials were designed and tested in the laboratory. Scale-up of those methods were tested in meso-scale reactor systems and in field applications. In this report, in Section One, we describe laboratory efforts to develop injection strategies to promote precipitation in wellbore analogs and determine the strength of the bio-composite cements as compared to fine cement. In Section Two, we describe the efforts to scale up the work and study the use of materials that can be used in field application, for example exploring the use of calcium chloride ice melt or urea fertilizer as source chemicals. In Section Three, the three field trials (methods and results) performed as part of the project are described and summarized. At the end of the report is a comprehensive summary and conclusion section which highlights the key findings of the project. The work performed during this project significantly advanced the technology readiness level (TRL) of the MICP wellbore sealing strategy.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Cement having stress-indicating properties

A system and method measures subterranean stress. The system and method includes a cement mixture that is mixed with water to set as a solid and a stress measuring-medium having piezospectroscopic properties that directly reveals stress in situ within the cement mixture in response to a photo stimulation. The stress measuring-medium combines with the cement mixture as a dry blend before being combined with water.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Analysis of Carbon Capture Retrofits for Cement Plants

This PowerPoint presentation summarizes the cost and performance results of the techno-economic analysis of carbon capture retrofits at representative cement plants, published in early 2023, titled “Analysis of Carbon Capture Retrofits for Cement Plants.” The analysis report used as a basis for slide contents was developed by NETL in partnership with the Portland Cement Association.

Hughes, Sydney↗

Super-hydrophobic, thermally insulating, thermal-shocks resistant well cement composites for completion of geothermal wells at hydrothermal temperatures of up to 300° C

A well cement composite and a method for making a well cement composite includes a mixture of calcium aluminate cement (CAC) and fly ash cenospheres (CS) in a weight ratio of from 30:70 to 80:20 CAC to CS; sodium metasilicate (SMS) in an amount of from 1 to 10% of the total weight of the mixture of CAC and CS; polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS) in an amount of from 0.5 to 6.0% of the total weight of the mixture of CAC and CS; and water in a weight ratio of from 0.5:1.0 to 1.2:1.0 of water to CAC and CS.

Pyatina, Tatiana↗

Understanding the setting and hardening process of wollastonite-based brushite cement. Part 2: Influence of the boron and aluminum concentrations in the mixing solution

The mixing solution of wollastonite-based brushite cement is a phosphoric acid solution containing metallic cations and borax. This work complements a previous study devoted to the influence of the H{sub 3}PO{sub 4} concentration, Ca/P and liquid-to-solid (l/s) ratios on the setting and hardening process of the binder by providing new insight into the role of aluminum and boron. Boron retards the setting and decreases the heat released during the process. It also contributes to reduce the macroporosity of the hardened material but yields to poor compressive strength. With aluminum in the mixing solution, the mechanical properties are greatly improved thanks to the precipitation of an amorphous aluminophosphate which increases the density of the cement matrix. But aluminum alone leads to fast setting. A joint addition of boron and aluminum to the mixing solution makes it possible to get a material with optimized properties both in fresh and hardened states.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Prediction of moisture transfer in cement-based materials: Use of a porous network model to access transfer parameters

Knowing the water transport phenomena is fundamental for understanding the durability of cement-based materials. The moisture content within cementitious materials is of primary importance because it has a direct influence on mechanical (shrinkage, creep) and chemical (penetration of aggressive agents) degradation. Many models based on the determination of the transfer properties of the material under study already exist but require fitting of the parameters to find the experimental kinetics. Transfer parameters are generally estimated from the empirical approaches developed for soils by Van Genuchten and the water vapour diffusion reduction factor is often calculated via Millington's semi-empirical model. In this paper, we make a proposal to improve the prediction of moisture transfer, through mechanisms such as drying, capillary imbibition and water vapour permeability in cement-based materials, by using a porous network model to access the transfer parameters.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Mineralogical and microstructural alterations in a portland cement paste after an accelerated decalcification process

Cement paste leaching and concomitant decalcification is a common cause of concrete structure deterioration. Such alterations entail microstructural changes that condition concrete durability. This study analysed those changes in cement pastes exposed to accelerated decalcification, layer-by-layer, from the surface in contact with the leaching agent, 6 M NH{sub 4}NO{sub 3,} to the unaltered area. The microstructural changes were analysed with BSEM, MIP and BET whilst the mineralogical and nanostructural alterations in each layer were assessed with XRD, FTIR, {sup 29}Si and {sup 27}Al MAS NMR and BSD. Decalcification affected not only portlandite and CSH gel, but also the anhydrous clinker and ettringite, inducing major micro- and nano-structural changes, particularly in the two layers closest to the leaching agent. CSH gel decalcification was more intense in the outer layers where long chain gels co-existed with silicon rich gels. BDS, in turn, revealed differences between the amount of bound water in the surface interfacing with the leaching agent and in the leaching front. More specifically, larger numbers of water molecules were tightly bound to silanol groups in the outer, whereas hydroxyl group distribution was more orderly in the inner layers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effect of a novel starch-based temperature rise inhibitor on cement hydration and microstructure development: The second peak study

Temperature rise inhibitor (TRI) modifies the exothermic process of cement hydration at early age and mitigates the buildup of cumulative heat, which sheds new light on solving the thermal cracking issue. After the main hydration peak, a broader “second peak” appears and brings the cumulative heat back to normal level within 7 days (for additions less than 0.15%). This study shows that the “second peak” can be attributed, almost exclusively, to C{sub 3}S hydration while triggered by C{sub 3}A hydration. In a pure C{sub 3}S system, the heat flow is depressed by TRI during the main hydration peak but never recovers after. In a monophase system composed of C{sub 3}S, C{sub 3}A and gypsum or a real cement paste, the ongoing precipitation of ettringite helps to pump out TRI polymer from the pore solution and eliminate the restriction on C-S-H nucleation. Afterwards, the precipitation of C-S-H accelerates again to form the “second peak”.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effect of supplementary cementitious materials on carbonation of cement pastes

Supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) are increasingly used in concrete for economical and environmental reasons. However, the durability of reinforced concretes against, for example, corrosion induced by carbonation varies. Here, the phase assemblage of various cement pastes with/without SCM (slag, fly ash and metakaolin), carbonated in accelerated conditions (1.5% CO{sub 2} and 65% RH) or not, has been investigated by various technics (XRD, TGA/DTA and {sup 29}Si as well as {sup 27}Al nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and compared. Results show that, after carbonation, anhydrous phases are less decalcified than hydrated phases. In cement pastes with slag, most of the calcium remains in the non-hydrated part of the slag. In contrast, the C-A,S-H phase is deeply modified and results show a coupling between C-A,S-H and hydrated aluminate phases during carbonation. In all carbonated materials, these phases tend to become an aluminosilicate gel, a very amorphous/disordered phase, containing less water than the original hydrates.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Early age hydration and application of blended magnesium potassium phosphate cements for reduced corrosion of reactive metals

Highlights: • Magnesium potassium phosphate cements were studied for nuclear waste encapsulation. • The optimised formulation in this study was determined to be 0.24 w/s ratio. • Different reaction kinetics were discovered for the FA/MKPC and BFS/MKPC binders. • Struvite-K was the only crystalline reaction product observed via in-situ SXPD. • Uranium trials revealed MKPC corrosion was reduced compared to a UK nuclear grout. Magnesium potassium phosphate cements (MKPC) were investigated to determine their efficacy towards retardation of reactive uranium metal corrosion. Optimised low-water content, fly ash (FA) and blast furnace slag (BFS) blended MKPC formulations were developed and their fluidity, hydration behaviour, strength and phase assemblage investigated. In-situ time resolved synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction was used to detail the early age (~60 h) phase assemblage development and hydration kinetics, where the inclusion of BFS was observed to delay the formation of struvite-K by ~14 h compared to FA addition (~2 h). All samples set within this period, suggesting the possible formation of a poorly crystalline binding phase prior to struvite-K crystallisation. Long-term corrosion trials using metallic uranium indicated that MKPC systems are capable of limiting uranium corrosion rates (reduced by half), when compared to a UK nuclear industry grout, which highlights their potential application radioactive waste immobilisation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Comparison on the properties of ITZs in fly ash-based geopolymer and Portland cement concretes with equivalent flowability

Highlights: • Modelled ITZs can effectively avoid the effects caused by different factors and test locations of ITZ. • ITZ properties of PC and geopolymer concretes are compared based on equivalent flowability of binders. • Geopolymer ITZ exhibits stronger bonding than that of PC, and higher mechanical properties than geopolymer paste. • Strong ITZs in geopolymer concrete are attributed to the layer of gel-rich paste with dense microstructures. • Elastic modulus and hardness properties of ITZs in PC concrete are increased due to the CH crystals. This paper aims to compare the properties of interfacial transition zones (ITZs) in Portland cement (PC) concrete and geopolymer concrete. Portland cement and geopolymer pastes were designed with the equivalent flowability to provide similar mix and casting condition of ITZs. Two types of modelled ITZs were prepared to facilitate the nanoindentations across ITZs, microstructural characterization, and comparison on the properties of ITZs with less influential factors. The results showed that the interfacial bonding of ITZs between geopolymer matrix and aggregate is relatively stronger than the counterpart in the PC concrete. There is a high amount of crystalline hydration products in the ITZs of PC concrete, but a layer gel-rich paste with denser microstructures in the ITZs of geopolymer concrete. Additionally, the interface morphology and nanoindentation analysis indicate that the property of ITZs in the modelled geopolymer concrete is not poorer than that of the corresponding geopolymer paste.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Microstructural refinement of cement paste internally cured by polyacrylamide composite hydrogel particles containing silica fume and nanosilica

Supplementary cementitious materials were incorporated into hydrogel-based internal curing agents to improve the hydration, microstructure, and ultimately strength of internally cured high-performance cement paste. Polyacrylamide composite hydrogel particles containing amorphous silica – either silica fume or nanosilica – and two different polymer network crosslink densities were synthesized and incorporated into cement paste. The presence of silica and low crosslink density increased the absorption capacity of the particles in pore solution. Micrographs of internally cured paste indicated a significant improvement in hydrogel-related void-filling ability and an increase in void size for low crosslink density particles containing silica. Compressive strength and electrical resistivity increased at later ages for paste samples containing particles with higher silica dosage. The relationship between extent of hydration, void size, and void-filling activity was found to strongly influence the paste's long-term strength and is thus an important structure-property relationship to consider when selecting hydrogels for internal curing purposes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Long-term strength retrogression of silica-enriched oil well cement: A comprehensive multi-approach analysis

The strength retrogression of a Class G cement enriched by adding 60–80% silica cured under the condition of 200 °C and 50 MPa were investigated by multiple different analysis methods. Short-term strength analysis suggests sonic strength testing is a poor indicator of real mechanical strength at such curing condition. Long-term testing up to 142 d shows all designed systems experiences dramatic deterioration in physical and mechanical properties, such as compressive strength, Young's modulus, water permeability and gas permeability. Further testing was conducted using X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis, mercury intrusion and scanning electron microscope. The study reveals that the set cement experiences significant microstructure coarsening with increasing curing time, especially after 30 d curing. The strength retrogression and microstructure coarsening seem to be accompanied with the continued consumption of silica, and are likely caused by the gradual conversion of semi-crystalline C-S-H into crystalline tobermorite and xonolite over the long-term curing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗