This study outlines a new method for disposing of hazardous (e.g., nuclear) waste. The technique is called Abyssal Sequestration, and it involves placing the waste at extreme depths in Earth’s crust where it could achieve the geologically long period of isolation. Abyssal Sequestration involves storing the waste in hydraulic fractures driven by gravity, a process we term as gravity fracturing. ...

We review recent theories of non-classical, structured deformations and integral representations for their Helmholtz free energy. Energy minimizers for a body undergoing shearing at two di¤erent length scales and for a bar experiencing both smooth extension and macroscopic fractures then are determined, and applications to the shearing of single crystals and to the cohesive fracture of solids a...

We present a case of near identical patellar fractures in adolescent monozygotic twins who are both high-level competitive gymnasts. These patients presented 14 months apart with almost identical history and clinical findings. Both had an intense training regime involving over 30 hours per week of load-bearing exercise. Clinical and radiological examinations suggested avulsion or sleeve fractur...

Age-related deterioration of the fracture properties of bone, coupled with increased life expectancy, is responsible for increasing incidence of bone fracture in the elderly, and hence, an understanding of how its fracture properties degrade with age is essential. The present study describes ex vivo fracture experiments to quantitatively assess the effect of aging on the fracture toughness prop...

Although healthy dentin is invariably hydrated in vivo, from a perspective of examining the mechanisms of fracture in dentin, it is interesting to consider the role of water hydration. Furthermore, it is feasible that exposure to certain polar solvents, e.g., those found in clinical adhesives, can induce dehydration. In the present study, in vitro deformation and fracture experiments, the latte...

Schatzker type IV medial tibial plateau fractures have an unfavorable prognosis, likely due to the mechanism of injury (fracture-dislocation/subluxation type) and possibly due to the involvement of the posterolateral plateau, which is different from previously thought. The aim of this study was to propose a new subclassification of Schatzker type IV fracture patterns based on 2-dimensional (2-D...

In a study of 23 intra-articular fractures of the distal tibia of which 18 were re-examined after an average follow-up period of 5.4 years, two major fracture patterns were identified: type A, a rotational pattern, caused by low energy trauma and type B, a compressive fracture pattern caused by high energy trauma. Type B fractures could be divided into three subgroups: 1) An isolated fracture o...

Double network (DN) gels, consisting of a brittle first and flexible second network, have been known to be extremely tough and functional hydrogels. In a DN gel subjected to force, the brittle first network breaks prior to the fracture of the flexible network. This process, referred to as internal fracture, dissipates energy and increases the energy required to completely fracture DN gels. Such...

S E On the Fracture Toughness of Advanced Materials A R C H By Maximilien E. Launey, and Robert O. Ritchie* N E W S Few engineering materials are limited by their strength; rather they are limited by their resistance to fracture or fracture toughness. It is not by accident that most critical structures, such as bridges, ships, nuclear pressure vessels and so forth, are manufactured from materia...

The rapid growth in natural gas consumption has increased the need for gas storage, in particular in the form of injection into depleted reservoirs. Also, CO2 sequestration into the depleted reservoirs has attracted a large attention recently. However, it is important to ensure that the injection pressure is maintained below a certain limit to avoid unsealing the cap rock or reactivation of any...