More recently, a significant growth is observed in the manufacture of composite materials. Intensively developed polymer composite materials (PCM) are used in different sectors of industry and technology. They are successfully replacing traditional construction materials and also permit the conditions that exclude use of metals. Basalt fiber is one of these materials, it have caught come into the spotlight due to their superior physical and chemical properties in which they only rank below expensive carbon and silicon carbide fibers. The suitability of raw material for basalt fiber production is mainly determined by the mineral composition and crystallization properties of basalt melts. In this article, we present the results of an integrated petrographic and mineralogical investigation of melanocratic basalts of the Kuluevskaya volcanic complex from the Southern Urals, in order to assess their suitability for the production of high quality basalt fiber. The low acidity and viscosity parameters indicate the possibility of producing brittle fibers with a poor chemical resistance. Moreover the redox state and content of iron in the basalt glasses determine high crystallization ability of basalt fibers, it limits their application temperature and leads to low productivity of the BCF production process, but keeping acceptable insulation properties, hence their significance in the construction industry is high.
The development of coal deposits is accompanied by negative environmental changes. In the territory of the Kizel coal basin (Perm Region, Russia), the problem of contamination of water sources by acid mine waters and runoff from rock dumps is particularly acute. Mine waters are acidic (pH 2–3), with high mineralization (up to 25 g/L) and significant content of sulfate ions, iron, aluminum, manganese, toxic trace elements (As, Co, Ni, Pb and Zn). They are formed as a result of the interaction of underground waters from flooded mines of the Kizel basin with coal and rocks of dumps with high sulfur content (15%). Uncontrolled inflow of mine water into rivers (about 22 million m3 annually) leads to significant amounts of iron and aluminum hydroxide precipitation. These precipitations are in active interaction with river water, polluting the rivers tens of kilometers downstream and are entering the Kama reservoir. Studies of alluvial precipitation can be considered as a method of control and predictors of technogenic water pollution. The mineral composition of river sediments was studied with the application of different methods, including studies of sand-gravel and silty-clayey sediments. The sandy-gravel grains in the bottom load are mainly composed by natural minerals and are represented by a significant number of particles of coal dumps, slags and magnetic spherules. The silty-clayey material, mixed with natural minerals, contains a significant number of amorphous phases with a predominance of iron-rich substances, which may actively concentrate toxic elements. The presence of jarosite, goethite, basaluminite, lepidorocite and copiapite in silty-clayey sediments are indicators of the influence of mine waters.
Survey and novel research data are used in the present study to classify/identify the lithological type of Verey age reservoirs' rocks. It is shown how the use of X-ray tomography can clarify the degree of heterogeneity, porosity and permeability of these rocks. These data are then used to elaborate a model of hydraulic fracturing. The resulting software can take into account the properties of proppant and breakdown fluid, thermal reservoir conditions, oil properties, well design data and even the filtration and elastic-mechanical properties of the rocks. Calculations of hydraulic fracturing crack formation are carried out and the results are compared with the data on hydraulic fracturing crack at standard conditions. Significant differences in crack formation in standard and lithotype models are determined. It is shown that the average width of the crack development for the lithotype model is 2.3 times higher than that for the standard model. Moreover, the coverage of crack development in height for the lithotype model is almost 2 times less than that for the standard model. The estimated fracture half-length for the lithotype model is 13.3% less than that of for the standard model. A higher dimensionless fracture conductivity is also obtained for the lithotype model. It is concluded that the proposed approach can increase the reliability of hydraulic fracturing crack models.
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