scholarly journals Experimental Study on the Effects of Stress-Induced Damage on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Soft Rock

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Hao Wang ◽  
Yong-Yan Wang ◽  
Zhuo-Qun Yu ◽  
Jian-Guang Li

After rocks are damaged under stress loading, the changes of their microstructural and mechanical properties are major factors that affect construction safety in geotechnical engineering projects. Studying the microstructures and mechanical behaviors of stress-damaged rocks can help better guide construction and reduce construction risks for geotechnical engineering projects. In this study, a sandstone was first artificially predamaged and then subsequently subjected to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, computed tomography (CT) scanning, and uniaxial compression testing. Afterwards, the rock microstructures were three-dimensionally (3D) reconstructed, and the pores were classified and characterized based on their diameters. Moreover, the microstructural and mechanical parameters of the rock were subjected to significance analysis. The results showed that as the stress-induced damage ( σ i ) increased, the uniaxial compressive strength ( σ c ) of the soft rock decreased by 13.7–31.8%; as σ i increased from 11.2 to 19.6 MPa, the elastic modulus (E) of the soft rock increased by up to 28.8%; and as σ i increased beyond 19.6 MPa, there was a significant (22.3%) decrease in E. Stress-induced damage significantly affected the spatial distribution of the pores’ structure of the soft rock. Changes in the spatial structure of the pores led to the formation of cracks. The microstructural parameters of the stress-damaged soft rock were correlated with its mechanical parameters.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 6425
Author(s):  
Hidenori Takahashi ◽  
Shinya Omori ◽  
Hideyuki Asada ◽  
Hirofumi Fukawa ◽  
Yusuke Gotoh ◽  
...  

Cellulose nanofibre (CNF), a material composed of ultrafine fibres of wood cellulose fibrillated to nano-order level, is expected to be widely used because of its excellent properties. However, in the field of geotechnical engineering, almost no progress has been made in the development of techniques for using CNFs. The authors have focused on the use of CNF as an additive in cement treatment for soft ground, where cement is added to solidify the ground, because CNF can reduce the problems associated with cement-treated soil. This paper presents the results of a study on the method of mixing CNF, the strength and its variation obtained by adding CNF, and the change in permeability. CNF had the effect of mixing the cement evenly and reducing the variation in the strength of the treated soil. The CNF mixture increased the strength at the initial age but reduced the strength development in the long term. The addition of CNF also increased the flexural strength, although it hardly changed the permeability.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 2636
Author(s):  
Petr Valášek ◽  
Miroslav Müller ◽  
Vladimír Šleger ◽  
Viktor Kolář ◽  
Monika Hromasová ◽  
...  

Composite materials with natural fillers have been increasingly used as an alternative to synthetically produced materials. This trend is visible from a representation of polymeric composites with natural cellulose fibers in the automotive industry of the European Union. This trend is entirely logical, owing to a preference for renewable resources. The experimental program itself follows pronounced hypotheses and focuses on a description of the mechanical properties of untreated and alkali-treated natural vegetable fibers, coconut and abaca fibers. These fibers have great potential for use in composite materials. The results and discussion sections contribute to an introduction of an individual methodology for mechanical property assessment of cellulose fibers, and allows for a clear definition of an optimal process of alkalization dependent on the content of hemicellulose and lignin in vegetable fibers. The aim of this research was to investigate the influence of alkali treatment on the surface microstructure and tensile properties of coir and abaca fibers. These fibers were immersed into a 5% solution of NaOH at laboratory temperature for a time interval of 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h, rinsed and dried. The fiber surface microstructures before and after the alkali treatment were evaluated by SEM (scanning electron microscopy). SEM analysis showed that the alkali treatment in the NaOH solution led to a gradual connective material removal from the fiber surface. The effect of the alkali is evident from the visible changes on the surface of the fibers.


Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 423
Author(s):  
Chunde Ma ◽  
Jiaqing Xu ◽  
Guanshuang Tan ◽  
Weibin Xie ◽  
Zhihai Lv

Red shale is widely distributed among the deep mine areas of Kaiyang Phosphate Mine, which is the biggest underground phosphate mine of China. Because of the effect of various factors, such as high stress, ground water and so on, trackless transport roadways in deep mine areas were difficult to effectively support for a long time by using traditional supporting design methods. To deal with this problem, some innovative works were carried out in this paper. First, mineral composition and microstructure, anisotropic, hydraulic mechanical properties and other mechanical parameters of red shale were tested in a laboratory to reveal its deformation and failure characteristics from the aspect of lithology. Then, some numerical simulation about the failure process of the roadways in layered red shale strata was implemented to investigate the change regulation of stress and strain in the surrounding rock, according to the real rock mechanical parameters and in-situ stress data. Therefore, based on the composite failure law and existing support problems of red shale roadways, some effective methods and techniques were adopted, especially a kind of new wave-type bolt that was used to relieve rock expansion and plastic energy to prevent concentration of stress and excess deformation. The field experiment shows the superiorities in new techniques have been verified and successfully applied to safeguard roadway stability.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Yuxuan Wang ◽  
Yuke Zhong ◽  
Qifeng Shi ◽  
Sen Guo

Thermoplastic starch/butyl glycol ester copolymer/polylactic acid (TPS/PBSA/PLA) biodegradable composites were prepared by melt-mixing. The structure, microstructure, mechanical properties and heat resistance of the TPS/PBSA/PLA composites were studied by Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), tensile test and thermogravimetry tests, respectively. The results showed that PBSA or PLA could bind to TPS by hydrogen bonding. SEM analysis showed that the composite represents an excellent dispersion and satisfied two-phase compatibility when the PLA, TPS and PBSA blended by a mass ration of 10, 30, and 60. The mechanical properties and the heat resistance of TPS/PBSA/PLA composite were improved by adding PLA with content less than 10%, according to the testing results.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1473
Author(s):  
Jun Zhao ◽  
Kang Wang ◽  
Shuaibin Wang ◽  
Zike Wang ◽  
Zhaohui Yang ◽  
...  

This paper presents results from experimental work on mechanical properties of geopolymer concrete, mortar and paste prepared using fly ash and blended slag. Compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and flexural strength tests were conducted on large sets of geopolymer and ordinary concrete, mortar and paste after exposure to elevated temperatures. From Thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM) test results, the geopolymer exhibits excellent resistance to elevated temperature. Compressive strengths of C30, C40 and C50 geopolymer concrete, mortar and paste show incremental improvement then followed by a gradual reduction, and finally reach a relatively consistent value with an increase in exposure temperature. The higher slag content in the geopolymer reduces residual strength and the lower exposure temperature corresponding to peak residual strength. Resistance to elevated temperature of C40 geopolymer concrete, mortar and paste is better than that of ordinary concrete, mortar and paste at the same grade. XRD, TGA and SEM analysis suggests that the heat resistance of C–S–H produced using slag is lower than that of sulphoaluminate gel (quartz and mullite, etc.) produced using fly ash. This facilitates degradation of C30, C40 and C50 geopolymer after exposure to elevated temperatures.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 70
Author(s):  
Marco Ferroni ◽  
Beatrice Belgio ◽  
Giuseppe M. Peretti ◽  
Alessia Di Giancamillo ◽  
Federica Boschetti

The menisci of the knee are complex fibro-cartilaginous tissues that play important roles in load bearing, shock absorption, joint lubrication, and stabilization. The objective of this study was to evaluate the interaction between the different meniscal tissue components (i.e., the solid matrix constituents and the fluid phase) and the mechanical response according to the developmental stage of the tissue. Menisci derived from partially and fully developed pigs were analyzed. We carried out biochemical analyses to quantify glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and DNA content according to the developmental stage. These values were related to tissue mechanical properties that were measured in vitro by performing compression and tension tests on meniscal specimens. Both compression and tension protocols consisted of multi-ramp stress–relaxation tests comprised of increasing strains followed by stress–relaxation to equilibrium. To better understand the mechanical response to different directions of mechanical stimulus and to relate it to the tissue structural composition and development, we performed numerical simulations that implemented different constitutive models (poro-elasticity, viscoelasticity, transversal isotropy, or combinations of the above) using the commercial software COMSOL Multiphysics. The numerical models also allowed us to determine several mechanical parameters that cannot be directly measured by experimental tests. The results of our investigation showed that the meniscus is a non-linear, anisotropic, non-homogeneous material: mechanical parameters increase with strain, depend on the direction of load, and vary among regions (anterior, central, and posterior). Preliminary numerical results showed the predominant role of the different tissue components depending on the mechanical stimulus. The outcomes of biochemical analyses related to mechanical properties confirmed the findings of the numerical models, suggesting a specific response of meniscal cells to the regional mechanical stimuli in the knee joint. During maturation, the increase in compressive moduli could be explained by cell differentiation from fibroblasts to metabolically active chondrocytes, as indicated by the found increase in GAG/DNA ratio. The changes of tensile mechanical response during development could be related to collagen II accumulation during growth. This study provides new information on the changes of tissue structural components during maturation and the relationship between tissue composition and mechanical response.


2010 ◽  
Vol 177 ◽  
pp. 447-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Zhang ◽  
Yi Wen Hu ◽  
Yin Wu ◽  
Wen Jie Si

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the crystal phase formation behavior and its influence on the mechanical properties of LiO2-SiO2-P2O5 glass-ceramics system. High temperature XRD was used to analyze the crystal phase formation in situ. The crystalline phases in the material both before and after heat-treatment were also analyzed. The flexural strength was measured by three-point bending test according to ISO 6872:2008(E). The SEM analysis showed that the high strength of the glass-ceramics is attributed to the continuous interlocking microstructure with fine lithium disilicate crystallines.


2014 ◽  
Vol 625 ◽  
pp. 192-195
Author(s):  
Lillia Haddour ◽  
Mourad Keddam ◽  
Nadir Mesrati

Some low purity alumina ceramics with an alumina content ranging from 86% to 93% were investigated, in order to explore the effects of microstructural parameters (grain size, intergranular phase) on mechanical (wear) and dielectrical parameters. The microstructure and worn surfaces were analysed using scaning electron microscopy. The correlation between microstructural, dielectrical properties and wear is discussed. It has been proposed that mechanical and electrical properties are two aspects of the same fundamental mechanism. Key words: Al2O3, Microstructure final, Wear resistance, Breakdown.


2022 ◽  
Vol 327 ◽  
pp. 82-97
Author(s):  
He Qin ◽  
Guang Yu Yang ◽  
Shi Feng Luo ◽  
Tong Bai ◽  
Wan Qi Jie

Microstructures and mechanical properties of directionally solidified Mg-xGd (5.21, 7.96 and 9.58 wt.%) alloys were investigated at a wide range of growth rates (V = 10-200 μm/s) under the constant temperature gradient (G = 30 K/mm). The results showed that when the growth rate was 10 μm/s, different interface morphologies were observed in three tested alloys: cellular morphology for Mg-5.21Gd alloy, a mixed morphology of cellular structure and dendritic structure for Mg-7.96Gd alloy and dendrite morphology for Mg-9.58Gd alloy, respectively. Upon further increasing the growth rate, only dendrite morphology was exhibited in all experimental alloys. The microstructural parameters (λ1, λ2) decreased with increasing the growth rate for all the experimental alloy, and the measured λ1 and λ2 values were in good agreement with Trivedi model and Kattamis-Flemings model, respectively. Vickers hardness and the ultimate tensile strength increased with the increase of the growth rate and Gd content, while the elongation decreased gradually. Furthermore, the relationships between the hardness, ultimate tensile strength, the growth rate and the microstructural parameters were discussed and compared with the previous experimental results.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Sahari ◽  
M. A. Maleque

The mechanical properties of oil palm shell (OPS) composites were investigated with different volume fraction of OPS such as 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% using unsaturated polyester (UPE) as a matrix. The results presented that the tensile strength and tensile modulus of the UPE/OPS composites increased as the OPS loading increased. The highest tensile modulus of UPE/OPS was obtained at 30 vol% of OPS with the value of 8.50 GPa. The tensile strength of the composites was 1.15, 1.17, and 1.18 times higher than the pure UPE matrix for 10, 20, and 30 vol% of OPS, respectively. The FTIR spectra showed the change of functional group of composites with different volume fractions of OPS. SEM analysis shows the filler pull-out present in the composites which proved the poor filler-matrix interfacial bonding.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document