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At least 757 records · Page 42

Impact of Laboratory-Accelerated Aging Methods to Study Alkali–Silica Reaction and Reinforcement Corrosion on the Properties of Concrete

This study focuses on two separate investigations of the main aging mechanisms: alkali–silica reactivity (ASR) and the corrosion of reinforcing steel (rebar) concrete, both of which may result in a premature failure to meet the serviceability or strength requirements of a concrete structure. However, these processes occur very slowly, spanning decades. The impact of direct chemical additives to fresh concrete to accelerate ASR and the corrosion of reinforcing steel on the fresh and hardened properties of the ensuing material are investigated to inform the potential use of chemicals in large-scale studies. The deterioration of reinforced concrete (RC) is determined by means of expansion, cracking, bulk diffusivity and surface resistivity measurements, and compressive, split tensile and flexural strength tests. The results indicate that the addition of sodium hydroxide and calcium chloride can effectively accelerate the crack formation and propagation in concrete due to ASR and the corrosion of rebar, respectively. The ASR-induced cracks maintained a constant crack width from 0.05 mm to 0.1 mm over the measurement period regardless of the intensity of aging acceleration. Adding 4% chloride by weight of cement for accelerating rebar corrosion resulted in an average crack that was 82% larger than in the case of ASR accelerated with the addition of sodium hydroxide. The addition of alkali resulted in an increase in early-age (7-day) strength. At a total alkali loading of 2.98 kg/m3, 3.84 kg/m3 and 5.57 kg/m3, the 28-day compressive strength of concrete decreased by 3%, 10% and 24%, respectively. Similarly, a higher early-age strength and a lower later-age strength was observed for the concrete in the presence of corrosive calcium chloride. The results from this research are expected to inform future studies on the long-term performance of RC structures under accelerated ASR and corrosion.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

SOLAR WIND COLLISIONAL AGE FROM A GLOBAL MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS SIMULATION

Simple estimates of the number of Coulomb collisions experienced by the interplanetary plasma to the point of observation, i.e., the “collisional age”, can be usefully employed in the study of non-thermal features of the solar wind. Usually these estimates are based on local plasma properties at the point of observation. Here we improve the method of estimation of the collisional age by employing solutions obtained from global three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics simulations. This enables evaluation of the complete analytical expression for the collisional age without using approximations. The improved estimation of the collisional timescale is compared with turbulence and expansion timescales to assess the relative importance of collisions. The collisional age computed using the approximate formula employed in previous work is compared with the improved simulation-based calculations to examine the validity of the simplified formula. We also develop an analytical expression for the evaluation of the collisional age and we find good agreement between the numerical and analytical results. Finally, we briefly discuss the implications for an improved estimation of collisionality along spacecraft trajectories, including Solar Probe Plus.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Data from: Age‐dependent leaf physiology and consequences for crown‐scale carbon uptake during the dry season in an Amazon evergreen forest

Satellite and tower-based metrics of forest-scale photosynthesis generally increase with dry season progression across central Amazônia, but the underlying mechanisms lack consensus. We conducted demographic surveys of leaf age composition, and measured age-dependence of leaf physiology in broadleaf canopy trees of abundant species at a central eastern Amazon site. Using a novel leaf-to-branch scaling approach, we used this data to independently test the much-debated hypothesis—arising from satellite and tower-based observations—that leaf phenology could explain the forest-scale pattern of dry season photosynthesis. Stomatal conductance and biochemical parameters of photosynthesis were higher for recently mature leaves than for old leaves. Most branches had multiple leaf age categories simultaneously present, and the number of recently mature leaves increased as the dry season progressed because old leaves were exchanged for new leaves. These findings provide the first direct field evidence that branch-scale photosynthetic capacity increases during the dry season, with a magnitude consistent with increases in ecosystem-scale photosynthetic capacity derived from flux towers. Interaction between leaf age-dependent physiology and shifting leaf age-demographic composition are sufficient to explain the dry season photosynthetic capacity pattern at this site, and should be considered in vegetation models of tropical evergreen forests.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Challenges of accelerated aging techniques for elastomer lifetime predictions

Elastomers are often degraded when exposed to air or high humidity for extended times (years to decades). Lifetime estimates normally involve extrapolating accelerated aging results made at higher than ambient environments. Several potential problems associated with such studies are reviewed, and experimental and theoretical methods to address them are provided. The importance of verifying time–temperature superposition of degradation data is emphasized as evidence that the overall nature of the degradation process remains unchanged versus acceleration temperature. The confounding effects that occur when diffusion-limited oxidation (DLO) contributes under accelerated conditions are described, and it is shown that the DLO magnitude can be modeled by measurements or estimates of the oxygen permeability coefficient (P Ox ) and oxygen consumption rate (Φ). P Ox and Φ measurements can be influenced by DLO, and it is demonstrated how confident values can be derived. In addition, several experimental profiling techniques that screen for DLO effects are discussed. Values of Φ taken from high temperature to temperatures approaching ambient can be used to more confidently extrapolate accelerated aging results for air-aged materials, and many studies now show that Arrhenius extrapolations bend to lower activation energies as aging temperatures are lowered. Furthermore, best approaches for accelerated aging extrapolations of humidity-exposed materials are also offered.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Predicting Polymer Degradation and Mechanical Property Changes for Combined Radiation-Thermal Aging Environments

Here, a new approach is presented for conducting and extrapolating combined environment (radiation plus thermal) accelerated aging experiments. The method involves a novel way of applying the time-temperature-dose rate (t-T-R) approach derived many years ago, which assumes that by simultaneously accelerating the thermal-initiation rate (from Arrhenius T-only analysis) and the radiation dose rate R by the same factor x, the overall degradation rate will increase by the factor x. The dose rate assumption implies that equal dose yields equal damage, which is equivalent to assuming the absence of dose-rate effects (DRE). A plot of inverse absolute temperature versus the log of the dose rate is used to indicate experimental conditions consistent with the model assumptions, which can be derived along lines encompassing so-called matched accelerated conditions (MAC lines). Aging trends taken along MAC lines for several elastomers confirms the underlying model assumption and therefore indicates, contrary to many past published results, that DRE are typically not present. In addition, the MAC approach easily accommodates the observation that substantial degradation chemistry changes occur as aging conditions transition R-T space from radiation domination (high R, low T) to temperature domination (low R, high T). The MAC-line approach also suggests an avenue for gaining more confidence in extrapolations of accelerated MAC-line data to ambient aging conditions by using ultrasensitive oxygen consumption (UOC) measurements taken along the MAC line both under the accelerated conditions and at ambient. From UOC data generated under combined R-T conditions, this approach is tested and quantitatively confirmed for one of the materials. In analogy to the wear-out approach developed previously for thermo-oxidative aging, the MAC-line concept can also be used to predict the remaining lifetimes of samples extracted periodically from ambient environments.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The effects of solution treatment on the mechanical properties of age-hardened A-286 bar stock at elevated and cryogenic temperature

The mechanical properties are presented of solution treated and age hardened A-286 corrosion resistant steel bar stock. Material solution treated at 899 C or 982 C, each followed by an age hardening treatment of 718 C, was evaluated. Test specimens manufactured from 1.50 inch (3.81 cm) diameter bar stock were tested at temperatures from +649 C to -253 C. The test data indicated excellent tensile, yield, elongation and reduction-in-area properties at all testing temperatures for both solution treated and aged materials. Cryogenic temperature notched tensile, impact, and shear tests indicated excellent notch strength, ductility, and shear values. There was very little difference in the mechanical properties of the two solution treated and aged materials. The only exception was that the 962 C solution treated and aged material had superior stress rupture properties at 649 C.

Montano, J. W.↗

Photogeology. Part A: Relative ages of some near-side and far-side terra plains based on Apollo 16 metric photography

Relative age measurements were made for 14 light plains areas, using 30X enlargements of Apollo 16 metric camera photography. Results indicate that: (1) Crater morphology and frequency studies consistently indicate that the Fra Mauro Formation has received 2.5 to 3 times as much impact flux as the Cayley Formation. (2) Crater counts and relative age dating indicate that the Cayley Formation is only slightly older than the oldest mare units. (3) Assuming the rubidium-strontium ages of Apollo 14 basalt breccias give minimum age for Fra Mauro Formation, the Cayley Formation must have been generated throughout a period of less than 100 million years, approximately 3.8 to 3.9 billion years ago. (4) The Cayley Formation ages obtained on the near side and far side are the same, indicating a synchrony throughout the moon in these units. (5) The linear relationship as predicted by the small impact erosion model between net accumulated flux and the maximum diameter of a crater that could be eroded below recognition is confirmed.

Soderblom, L. A.↗

The age and petrography of two Luna 20 fragments and inferences for widespread lunar metamorphism.

Ages were determined by the Ar-40/Ar-39 method on two metaclastic rocks returned from the lunar highlands north of Mare Fecunditatis by the Luna 20 probe. Both samples gave very well-defined argon retention ages of 3.90 plus or minus 0.04 AE which are indistinguishable from each other within a resolution of 0.02 AE. Both fragments, 22006 and 22007, are highly recrystallized polymict breccias; there is no evidence of radiogenic Ar-40, and the age almost surely dates the time of recrystallization. The cosmic ray exposure ages of these fragments are similar and high: 900 million years for 22006, 1300 million years for 22007. 22007 also contains substantial trapped argon with a high Ar-40/Ar-36. The Luna 20 results greatly extend the area of the moon's surface exhibiting a well-defined record of metamorphism at 3.9 AE. So far, lunar history in the interval from 4.6 to 3.9 AE is not preserved in the ages of surface rocks. This obliteration suggests lunar-wide metamorphic conditions occurring or terminating at this time as a result of major impacts.

Podosek, F. A.↗

The South Ray Crater age paradox

Relative exposure ages based on agglutinate content are calculated for 26 Apollo 16 surface and core samples. These ages increase from the northern part of the traverse to the southern part and are in general agreement with cosmogenic gas ages and particle track ages. An apparent paradox exists in which presumed ray soil from South Ray Crater is much older than the age of South Ray Crater itself as determined by a variety of methods. The most likely explanation for the paradox is that the presumed South Ray Crater soil is not ejecta from South Ray Crater but is pre-existing regolith upon which blocks and fragments from South Ray Crater are scattered.

Mckay, D. S.↗

Absolute age of lunar regolith material from the Sea of Fertility

By averaging the absolute age of lunar regolith materials from the Sea of Fertility for the fine regolith fraction from the core zone V, an age of 4.65 10 to the 9th power + 0.4 10 to the 9th power years was obtained, employing as the primordial Sr-87/Sr-86 ratio 0.69884 (ADOR). Also close to this age value is the age estimate based on the Pb-207/Pb-206 ratio. Using the value 0.69898 (BABI) as a primordial Sr-87/Sr-86 ratio reduces the calculated age of the fine regolith fraction to 4.25 X 10 to the 9th power years. The fine fraction of lunar regolith from the Sea of Fertility is also characterized by a minimum addition of radiogenic Sr-87, a minimum Rb/Sr ratio, and a maximum K/Rb ratio compared with analogous lunar material from other points.

Vinogradov, A. P.↗

Exposure ages and erosion rates for lunar rocks

The available data on the effects of particle bombardment of lunar rocks are examined, taking into account rare gas data, neutron capture products, radioactive nuclei, and particle tracks. Attention is given to exposure ages, questions concerning the validity of exposure ages, the location of rocks during irradiation, the criteria for valid crater ages, special problems regarding lunar breccias, surface residence times from long lived radioactive nuclei, surface residence times from galactic cosmic ray track data, rocks with simple surface exposure, rocks with complex surface exposure, limits on surface residence times, suntan and subdecimeter ages, erosion rates, and a number of case histories related to exposure age measurements as applied to the problem of the dating of impact events.

Burnett, D. S.↗

Relative ages of flow units in Mare Imbrium and Sinus Iridum

A method for determining relative ages from low-resolution Lunar Orbiter photographs of lunar plains has been developed and applied to Mare Imbrium and Sinus Iridum. The method is an extension of previous ones and uses the shapes of craters and a small-impact erosion model to estimate the net accumulated impact flux. The net impact flux that has accumulated on a surface of uniform age is a measure of relative age of that surface and can be estimated by the largest diameters of craters that have been degraded by the net impact flux. Frequency distributions or relative ages indicate that there are four major units present in Mare Imbrium and Sinus Iridum. The older mare units are generally found along the edge of the basin and the younger units in the center. A similar distribution of ages of units in Mare Serenitatis shows the two basins have had similar filling histories. Filling histories for other circular basins may be similar to these two.

Boyce, J. M.↗

Ages of flow units in the far eastern maria and implications for basin-filling history

The spatial distribution of major units of uniform relative age exposed in the far eastern maria and Mare Humorum was determined using a crater density mapping technique. Correlation of crater densities and radiometric ages of Apollo and Luna landing sites provided estimates of the absolute ages for the units. The combination of such data with relative age data from previous crater morphology studies produced a complete map of the distribution of major age units in the lunar near-side maria. The map shows that there are young (2.5 + or - 0.5 billion years old) mare basalts in the eastern maria, although most young flows occur in the western maria. The vents for the young flows generally are found along the edges of basins. Because old mare units (greater than 3.5 billion years old) are also commonly found around the edges of the basins, it is suggested that the basins were subsiding during filling, probably as a result of isostatic compensation due to the weight of the lava.

Boyce, J. M.↗

Lunar Bouguer gravity anomalies - Imbrian age craters

The Bouguer gravity of mass anomalies associated with four Imbrian age craters, analyzed in the present paper, are found to differ considerably from the values of the mass anomalies associated with some young lunar craters. Of the Imbrian age craters, only Piccolomini exhibits a negative gravity anomaly (i.e., a low density region) which is characteristic of the young craters studied. The Bouguer gravity anomalies are zero for each of the remaining Imbrian age craters. Since, Piccolomini is younger, or at least less modified, than the other Imbrian age craters, it is suggested that the processes responsible for the post-impact modification of the Imbrian age craters may also be responsible for removing the negative mass anomalies initially associated with these features.

Dvorak, J.↗

Small impact craters in the lunar regolith - Their morphologies, relative ages, and rates of formation

The size frequency distributions, relative ages, and absolute age determination of lunar impact craters ranging in diameter from 1 to 100 m are discussed in relation to present-day and past impact rates. The size frequency distributions of craters produced by impacts on the lunar surface and of craters remaining after degradation with time and later impacts are examined, together with the steady state frequency curves for various crater morphologies. Relations between the relative ages of craters, their morphologies and their diameters are discussed, and the calibration of this kind of relationship with absolute crater ages by the location of individual craters with known absolute ages, diameters and frequency distribution statistics is considered. Estimates of present and past cratering rates based on crater size-frequency distributions are presented which suggest that the rate of impacting objects producing small lunar craters could have been constant over the last 100 million years.

Moore, H. J.↗

Carbon-14 ages of Allan Hills meteorites and ice

Allan Hills is a blue ice region of approximately 100 sq km area in Antarctica where many meteorites have been found exposed on the ice. The terrestrial ages of the Allan Hills meteorites, which are obtained from their cosmogenic nuclide abundances are important time markers which can reflect the history of ice movement to the site. The principal purpose in studying the terrestrial ages of ALHA meteorites is to locate samples of ancient ice and analyze their trapped gas contents. Attention is given to the C-14 and Ar-39 terrestrial ages of ALHA meteorites, and C-14 ages and trapped gas compositions in ice samples. On the basis of the obtained C-14 terrestrial ages, and Cl-36 and Al-26 results reported by others, it is concluded that most ALHA meteorites fell between 20,000 and 200,000 years ago.

Fireman, E. L.↗

Age-dating volcanic and alluvial surfaces with multipolarization data

A false-color multipolarization version of one of the images of Owens Valley area acquired by the JPL Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is given. A geologic map of the alluvial fans there (Gillespie, 1982) is also given for comparison. In general, brightness in the multipolarization images can be seen to be inversely proportional to the age of the surfaces. A more detailed investigation of the relationship between backscatter and age of the surfaces was undertaken with calibrated aircraft SAR data. The quantitative relationship between backscatter coefficient and age for the three polarizations is shown. The straight lines connecting the measured data points imply a steady-state process, although the process or processes leading to this relationship may have operated at rates that varied with climate fluctuations, such as the glacial ages. It is expected that the relationship between radar brightness and age is a consistent one, and that with the wider availability of calibrated radar backscatter data, these relationships can be less well-known areas. The effect of variable such as past climate fluctuations, tectonic disturbance, and rock type must be understood before extension beyond the Mojave Desert region can be attempted.

Farr, T. G.↗

Terrestrial ages of Antarctic meteorites: Implications for concentration mechanisms

Antarctic meteorites differ from meteorites fallen in other places in their mean terrestrial ages. Boeckl estimated the terrestrial half-life for the disintegration of stone meteorites by weathering under the climatic conditions of the Western United States to be about 3600 years. Antarctic meteorites, however, have terrestrial ages up to 70000 years, indicating larger weathering half-lives. The terrestrial ages of meteorites are determined by their concentration of cosmic-ray-produced radionuclides with suitable half-lives (C-14, Al-26, and Cl-36). These radionuclides have yielded reliable ages for the Antarctic meteorites. The distribution of terrestrial ages of Allan Hills and Yamato meteorites are examined.

Schultz, L.↗