Crystalline Structure of Urea Ice Sheets Used in Modeling Experiments in the CRREL Test Basin

This report describes the growth characteristics and crystalline textures of urea ice sheets which are now used extensively in the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab. (CRREL) test basin for modeling sea ice. The aims of the report are to describe the different kinds of crystalline texture enc...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Gow,A. J.
Other Authors: COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB HANOVER NH
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1984
Subjects:
Ice
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA148434
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA148434
Description
Summary:This report describes the growth characteristics and crystalline textures of urea ice sheets which are now used extensively in the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab. (CRREL) test basin for modeling sea ice. The aims of the report are to describe the different kinds of crystalline texture encountered in urea ice sheets and to show that even small variations in texture can drastically influence the mechanical behavior of urea ice sheets. Standard petrographic techniques for studying microstructure in thin sections were used on 24 urea ice sheets. These investigations entailed observations of the crystalline texture of the ice (including details of the subgrain structure), grain size measurements, and studies of the nature and extent of urea entrapment and drainage patterns in the ice. Increased knowledge of the factors controlling the crystalline characteristics of urea ice sheets has progressed to the point where test basin researchers at CRREL are now able to fabricate ice sheets with prescribed structures leading to predictable mechanical properties. Originators supplied keywords include: Sea ice, and Mechanical properties.