Flow instability and shear localization in a drilling mud

To have a better knowledge of problems occurring with drilling fluids in complex wells, we carried out a detailed rheological analysis of a typical drilling mud at low shear rates using both conventional rheometry and MRI velocimetry. We show the existence of a viscosity bifurcation effect: Below a critical stress value, the mud tends to completely stop flowing, whereas beyond this critical stress, it reaches an apparent shear rate larger than a finite (critical) value, and no stable flows can be obtained between this critical shear rate value and zero. These results are confirmed by MRI velocity profiles, which exhibit a slope break at the interface between the solid and the liquid phases inside the Couette geometry. Moreover, this viscosity bifurcation is a transient phenomenon, the progressive development of which can be observed by MRI. A further examination of MRI data shows that, in the transient regime, the shear rate does not vary monotonously in the rheometer gap and is particularly large along the outer (rough) cylinder, which might be at the origin of the development of a region of constant shear rate in the apparent flow curve.     

Experimental investigation of the effect of temperature on the strength of polyimide contact structures

A new photogrammetry based measurement technique for contact areas in line contact structures is developed. From the data collected by this technique, a method for measuring the contact strength of contact structures in high temperature applications is proposed. The contact strength of a line contact structure of polyimide at different temperatures is measured; the results show that the increase in temperature decreases the contact strength of the structure. The effect of temperature on the contact strength is studied by investigating the occurrence and evolution of yielding core within the structure at different temperatures. The decrease in the yield strength and elastic modulus of the polyimide material at high temperature induces core yielding at lower loads and eases the propagation of core yielding to the surface.     

Stress and strain controlled rheometry on a concentrated lyotropic lamellar phase of AOT/Water/Iso-octane

We present the results of extensive strain- and stress-controlled rheometry performed on an AOT–water–iso-octane system, which forms lamellar structures with a high density of topological defects. In spite of different time-scales, both measurement methods, strain- and stress-controlled, are shown to be controlled by the level of strain experienced by the material. In both cases, after a complex transition, an apparent steady state is reached. Whereas both apparent steady states are identical for intermediate shear rate and shear stress following a power law, these are found to differ once the lower values of applied shear rate and shear stress are considered. The origin of this difference is discussed in terms of supplied energy to the sheared sample. I. Pignot-Paintrand is affiliated with The Université Joseph Fourier and member of the Institut de Chimie Moléculaire de Grenoble     

Microstructural investigations of the yielding behaviour of bidisperse magnetorheological fluids

Particle level simulations were used to investigate the effects of size bidispersity and particle size ratios on the static and yielding behaviour of magnetorheological fluids (MRF). The MRF were treated as linearly magnetisable, neutrally buoyant particles dispersed in a viscous carrier liquid. In the quiescent mode (static structures), the bidisperse suspensions were found to have a higher tendency to form straight chains than the monodisperse suspensions; this is consistent with previous findings. Under steady shearing, the bidisperse suspensions exhibited higher stress enhancement than the monodisperse systems. The stress enhancement in bidisperse suspensions is likely to be due to the population and orientation of interacting large particles in the bidisperse suspensions.     

Influence of crosslinking on physical properties of low density polyethylene

Influence of crosslinking on physical properties of low density polyethylene was studied.The results indicated that,at low degrees of crosslinking,the network hardly affects the crystallinity,elastic modulus(E) and yielding stress while it improves the tensile strength and strain at break simultaneously.Tensile strength reaches a maximum of about 24 MPa at 1.5 phr dicumyl peroxide(DCP) then decreases to a constant value of about 18 MPa due to decrease of crystallinity.E reaches its maximum at 0.5 phr DCP corresponding to gel fraction of about 75%without marked change in crystallinity.The crosslinked polyethylene exhibits two yielding processes,and both yielding stresses approximately linearly depend on crystallinity.     

The effect of annealing on the elastoplastic response of isotactic polypropylene

Four series of tensile loading-unloading tests are performed on isotactic polypropylene in the sub-yield domain of deformations at room temperature. In the first series, injection-molded specimens are used as produced, whereas in the other series the samples are annealed for 24 h at 120, 140 and 160 °C, which covers the low-temperature region and an initial part of the high-temperature region of annealing temperatures. A constitutive model is developed for the elastoplastic behavior of a semicrystalline polymer. The stress-strain relations are determined by five adjustable parameters that are found by fitting the experimental data. The effect of annealing is analyzed on the material constants.     

Stretch-Induced Melting and Recrystallization of Polyethylene-Plasticizer Film Studied by In Situ X-Ray Scattering: A Thermodynamic Point of View

With in situ synchrotron radiation X-ray scattering, the structural alteration of polyethylene-plasticizer film during uniaxial stretching is studied at temperature far below melting point of crystal. By analyzing the evolution rule of structural parameters quantitatively, stretch-induced melting and recrystallization process is validated to be the underlying mechanism of plastic deformation for the system. The physical essence of stretch-induced melting is proved to be phase transition driven by elastic energy which originates from lattice deformation. Conversely, the recrystallization process is proved to be controlled by temperature; furthermore, the growth of lamellae during recrystallization is in perfect accordance with kinetic theory by Lauritzen and Hoffman. This study provides a quantitative understanding to the long-existing melting–recrystallization model from a thermodynamics point of view. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2018 , 56, 1521–1528     

PEG浓度对锂藻土分散液的再凝胶化及屈服行为的影响

通过离子电导率和pH考察了锂藻土自身释放的Na+浓度,说明未经透析或离子交换处理的cw=30mg/mL的锂藻土分散液静置老化后形成的软固体是反应置限团簇聚集(RLCA)的胶体凝胶.通过剪切流变方法研究了聚乙二醇(PEG)浓度cp对锂藻土/PEG分散液体系的线性和非线性黏弹性的影响.小幅振荡剪切(SAOS)频率扫描结果表明,随着cp增加,锂藻土发生"RLCA凝胶-黏弹性液体-排空(Depletion)凝胶"转变,可观察到该体系的再凝胶化行为.稳态剪切和大振幅剪切实验结果表明,锂藻土/PEG分散体系的再凝胶化的非线性流变学行为也有体现.     

Large-scale testing of space steel frame subjected to non-proportional loads

This paper presents large-scale testing of a space steel frame. Considering a majority of large-scale frame tests in the past, only two-dimensional frames are experimentally studied. Therefore, three-dimensional experiment is needed to extend the knowledge of this field. A two-story, single-bay, and sway allowed frame subjected to non-proportional vertical and horizontal load was tested. Details of the test frame, test instruments, set-up and test procedures and the load–displacement curve of the test frame are presented. The experimental results are useful in the verification of three-dimensional analytical models. Non-linear numerical analysis was also performed, and its results compared well with the experimental results. It was observed that the load carrying capacity calculated by the AISC-LRFD method was 28% conservative when compared with that by the experiment. This difference is attributed to the fact that the AISC-LRFD approach does not consider the inelastic moment redistribution but the experiment includes the inelastic redistribution effect.