Compressive Strength
Standard crush or non-destructive compressive-strength tests are performed on cement slurry samples under simulated downhole pressure and temperature conditions to determine the initial set time and the wait-on-cement (woc) time.
The Curing Chambers are specifically designed to prepare cement samples for comprehensive strength testing in strict accordance with API and ISO specifications. These pressurized curing chambers contain pressure vessels with controlled heating rates, and are used to cure standard two-inch cement cube samples. The curing chambers are available to cover the wide range of temperatures and pressures associated with actual conditions found in oil well cementing applications.
Testing to determine the compressive strength of samples is usually done after the samples have been cured for hours or days. The actual testing of the cubes is done with compressive strength tester. The tester will crush the samples in compliance with the API Specification 10 requirements. Curing chambers are used in laboratories involved in oil well cement research programs, research and testing of cement additives, cement manufacturer's quality assurance programs, and in the research and field laboratories of well servicing companies. These units, with their options, cover a wide range of operational temperatures and pressures to simulate a wide variety of down-hole conditions. Both single and dual cell units are available. The dual cell units offer the advantages of a minimum requirement of laboratory space. Dual cabinets also offer a slightly lower cost per cell because two pressure vessels are combined into one cabinet.