Capture the variation of acoustic impedance property in the Jaisalmer Formation due to structural deformation based on post-stack seismic inversion study: a case study from Jaisalmer sub-basin, India

The Rajasthan basin situates in the western part of India. The basin architecture comprises three significant sub-basins such as Barmer-Sanchor, Bikaner-Nagaur and Jaisalmer. Barmer-Sanchor and Bikaner-Nagaur sub-basins are intracratonic categories, whereas the Jaisalmer sub-basin comes under intracratonic nature. The current study was conducted in the Jaisalmer sub-basin. The study was conducted in two regions in the Jaisalmer sub-basin through a comparative quantitative interpretation study with the help of two vintages seismic surveys. Ghotaru and Bandha are two adjacent areas in the Jaisalmer sub-basin where Ghotaru has seen few hydrocarbon discoveries; however, no such discoveries are encountered in the Bandha area. The current study was concentrated on the Jaisalmer limestone formation in the Jurassic age. The sub-basin and its related study area have been structurally deformed due to various tectonic activities. Structural deformation was played a crucial role in changing the rock property of limestone facies. A post-stack seismic inversion was carried out to capture the rock property changes in the limestone reservoir based on P-impedance values. Development of high P-impedance was observed in the Ghotaru region compared to the Bandha region from this study. A frequency changes of the limestone lithofacies with structural components was also captured in this study. The high impedance limestone lithofacies is a probable hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir unit in the Jaisalmer Formation of the Ghotaru region.

Investigation of Time-Lapse Changes with DAS Borehole Data at the Brady Geothermal Field Using Deconvolution Interferometry

Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) has great potential for monitoring natural-resource reservoirs and borehole conditions. However, the large volume of data and complicated wavefield add challenges to processing and interpretation. In this study, we demonstrate that seismic interferometry based on deconvolution is a convenient tool for analyzing this complicated wavefield. We also show the limitation of this technique, in that it still requires good coupling to extract the signal of interest. We extract coherent waves from the observation of a borehole DAS system at the Brady geothermal field in Nevada. The extracted waves are cable or casing ringing that reverberate within a depth interval. These ringing phenomena are frequently observed in the vertical borehole DAS data. The deconvolution method allows us to examine the wavefield at different boundary conditions and separate the direct waves and the multiples. With these benefits, we can interpret the wavefields using a simple 1D string model and monitor its temporal changes. The velocity of this wave varies with depth, observation time, temperature, and pressure. We find the velocity is sensitive to disturbances in the borehole related to increasing operation intensity. The velocity decreases with rising temperature. The reverberation can be decomposed into distinct vibration modes in the spectrum. We find that the wave is dispersive and the fundamental mode propagates with a large velocity. This interferometry method can be useful for monitoring borehole conditions or reservoir property changes using densely-sampled DAS data.

Investigation of the Time-Lapse Changes with the DAS Borehole Data at the Brady Geothermal Field Using Deconvolution Interferometry

The distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) has great potential for monitoring natural-resource reservoirs and borehole conditions. However, the large volume of data and complicated wavefield add challenges to processing and interpretation. In this study, we demonstrate that seismic interferometry based on deconvolution is a convenient tool for analyzing this complicated wavefield. We extract coherent wave from the observation of a borehole DAS system at the Brady geothermal field in Nevada. Then, we analyze the coherent reverberating waves, which are used for monitoring temporal changes of the system. These reverberations are tirelessly observed in the vertical borehole DAS data due to cable or casing ringing. The deconvolution method allows us to examine the wavefield at different boundary conditions. We interpret the deconvolved wavefields using a simple 1D string model. The velocity of this wave varies with depth, observation time, temperature, and pressure. We find the velocity is sensitive to disturbances in the borehole related to increasing operation intensity. The velocity decreases with rising temperature, which potentially suggests that the DAS cable or the casing are subjected to high temperature. This reverberation can be decomposed into distinct vibration modes in the spectrum. We find that the wave is dispersive, and the the fundamental mode propagate with a large velocity. The method can be useful for monitoring borehole conditions or reservoir property changes. For the later, we need better coupling than through only friction in the vertical borehole to obtain coherent energy from the formation.

Physiochemically distinct SU-8 surfaces tailor Xylella fastidiosa cell-surface holdfast and colonization

SU-8 polymer is an excellent platform for diverse applications due to its high aspect ratio of micro/nanostructures fabrication and exceptional optical, chemical, and biocompatible properties. Although SU-8 has been often investigated for a variety of biological applications, how its surface properties influence both the interaction of bacterial cells with the substrate and its colonization is poorly understood. In this work, we tailor SU-8 nanoscale surface properties to investigate single cell motility, adhesion and successive colonization of a phytopathogenic bacteria, Xylella fastidiosa. Different surface properties of SU-8 thin films have been prepared using photolithography processing and oxygen plasma treatment. We found a significant difference in bacterial cell behavior and subsequent colonization on SU-8 as surface property changes. A larger density of carboxyl groups in hydrophilic plasma-treated SU-8 surfaces promotes faster cell motility in the earlier stage of the growth. The hydrophobic nature of pristine SU-8 surfaces has no trackable bacterial motility with 5 to 10 times more single cells adhered to surface than its plasma-treated counterpart. In fact, plasma-treated SU-8 samples suppressed bacterial adhesion, with surfaces showing less than 5% coverage. These results not only showcase that SU-8 surface properties can impact the bacterial behavior in a spatiotemporal manner, but also provide insights on the prominent ability of pathogens to evolve and adapt to different surface properties.

Study on Metakaolin Impact on Concrete Performance of Resisting Complex Ions Corrosion

The main purpose of this study is to determine the metakaolin (MK) impacts on the concrete durability when the concrete is subjected to joint corrosion of SO42−,Mg2+ and, Cl−. Four groups of concrete test samples, which contained different MK contents, were designed and tested in order to see their physical property changes and macro-morphology differences during the cyclic corrosion process. And a series of approaches, including XRD, FTIR, SEM, and EDS, were applied to study the concrete phase composition changes and the micro-morphology features of all groups. According to the test results, when reaching 20 cycles, the concrete sample with 10% MK showed the best concrete physical properties; when reaching 120 cycles, the concrete with 5% MK content showed the best durability, produced similar amount of corrosion products to ordinary concrete, and presented relatively compacted micro-structure and small internal porosity. Mg2+ actually has a great impact on metakaolin. The corrosion product quantity increased significantly when MK admixture reached 15%. Due to the great number of produced M-S-H, the corrosive ions damaged the concrete for a second time, leading to serious aggregate peeling-off, powder surface of test samples, and porous micro-structure.

Isolation of Microbulbifer sp. SOL66 with High Polyhydroxyalkanoate-Degrading Activity from the Marine Environment

Having the advantage of eco-friendly decomposition, bioplastics could be used to replace petroleum-based plastics. In particular, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is one of the most commercialized bioplastics, however, necessitating the introduction of PHB-degrading bacteria for its effective disposal. In this study, Microbulbifer sp. SOL66 (94.18% 16S rRNA with similarity to Microbulbifer hydrolyticus) demonstrated the highest degradation activity among five newly screened Microbulbifer genus strains. Microbulbifer sp. SOL66 showed a rapid degradation yield, reaching 98% in 4 days, as monitored by laboratory scale, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, gel permeation chromatography, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The PHB film was completely degraded within 7 days at 37 °C in the presence of 3% NaCl. When 1% xylose and 0.4% ammonium sulfate were added, the degradation activity increased by 17% and 24%, respectively. In addition, this strain showed biodegradability on pellets of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate), as confirmed by weight loss and physical property changes. We confirmed that Microbulbifer sp. SOL66 has a great ability to degrade PHB, and has rarely been reported to date.

The effect of moisture on the properties of cement-bonded particleboards made with non-traditional raw materials

The paper presents research into the changes of properties in cement-bonded particleboards caused by moisture saturation over the course of 504 h. Three particleboard variants were tested, all at the age of 18 months. The first is a standard production-line board manufactured by CIDEM Hranice, a.s. (identified as CP-R). The other two variants were modified by by-products of the particleboard manufacturing process—dust (CP-D) and a particulate mixture (CP-P). The experiment observed changes in the boards’ dimensions, volume, and mass. The effect of moisture on their basic material properties was also investigated. While the boards were being saturated by water, changes in their structure were examined using an optical microscope. It was found that the boards behave differently depending on their composition. Also there were differences in the dynamics of the property changes. The modified particleboards are more susceptible to dimensional and volume changes. Both, volume and mass undergo the most significant changes during the first 24 h. Cracks and air voids inside the wood chips begin to close upon contact with water as a result of swelling. It was observed by optical microscopy that this process occurs within 3 to 5 min since immersion in the water bath. Between 24 and 96 h the rate at which the air voids and pores are closing begins to decrease and there is a difference in the dynamics of mass and volume changes as well. Wet–dry cycling of the boards was analysed as well. Temperature and moisture fluctuations negatively affected particleboard behaviour and properties. Strength dropped up to 50%. Wider cracks in structure of the particleboards were detected by optical microscopy, namely in ITZ (internal transition zone) of cement matrix and spruce chips.

The Influence of Tool Wear on the Mechanical Performance of AA6061-T6 Refill Friction Stir Spot Welds

The Refill Friction Stir Spot Welding (RFSSW) process—an alternative solid-state joining technology—has gained momentum in the last decade for the welding of aluminum and magnesium alloys. Previous studies have addressed the influence of the RFSSW process on the microstructural and mechanical properties of the AA6061-T6 alloy. However, there is a lack of knowledge on how the tool wear influences the welding mechanical behavior for this alloy. The present work intended to evaluate and understand the influence of RFSSW tool wear on the mechanical performance of AA6061-T6 welds. Firstly, the welding parameters were optimized through the Designing of Experiments (DoE), to maximize the obtained ultimate lap shear force (ULSF) response. Following the statistical analysis, an optimized condition was found that reached a ULSF of 8.45 ± 0.08 kN. Secondly, the optimized set of welding parameters were applied to evaluate the wear undergone by the tool. The loss of worn-out material was systematically investigated by digital microscopy and the assessment of tool weight loss. Tool-wear-related microstructural and local mechanical property changes were assessed and compared with the yielded ULSF, and showed a correlation. Further investigations demonstrated the influence of tool wear on the height of the hook, which was located at the interface between the welded plates and, consequently, its effects on the observed fracture mechanisms and ULSF. These results support the understanding of tool wear mechanisms and helped to evaluate the tool lifespan for the selected commercial RFSSW tool which is used for aluminum alloys.