Microwave-assisted breakage of basalt: A viewpoint on analyzing the thermal and mechanical behavior of rock

Liang, Cun-Guang; Guo, Ze-Shi; Yue, Xiu; Li, Hui; Ma, Peng‐Cheng

doi:10.1016/j.energy.2023.127225

Cited by 10 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 29 publications

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“…Thus, there is an urgent need for a more sustainable method for breaking hard rocks more efficiently. Microwave-assisted mechanical rock breakage is one of the most promising rock-breaking technologies [6][7][8]. The knowledge gap between the minimum microwave energy consumption and the maximum rock damage is a major obstacle to the successful application of microwave-assisted rock breakage technology.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of Microwave-Induced Damage in Granite Aggregates Influenced by Mineral Texture

Yuan,

Zhao

2024

Buildings

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The use of microwave energy to recycle high-quality coarse aggregates from waste concrete or assist hard rock breakage in underground building engineering is promising. Controlling or promoting the damage of coarse aggregates, i.e., hard rocks, under microwave irradiation is a crucial issue faced by these techniques. Understanding the damage mechanisms of hard rocks exposed to microwaves is thus urgent. Fracture toughness is a significant mechanical parameter of rocks that reflects their ability to resist crack propagation and damage evolution. In this study, the fracture toughness degradation of microwave-heated granite was investigated by combining experimental investigations and numerical simulations. A three-point-bending (TPB) experiment was conducted on granite specimens after microwave irradiation. A coupled electromagnetic–thermal–mechanical model considering the actual mineral texture of the granite specimen was established. The evolution of the temperature gradient and stress field near the initial notch tip were investigated. The results suggest that the microwave-induced maximum temperature gradient and stress in granite are at the plagioclase–quartz (Pl–Qtz) interfaces or inside the Pl near the boundary. The region of cracking initiation was defined as the damage zone, which could be obtained by comparing the microwave-induced thermal stress with the critical value. The fracture toughness degradation, which corresponds to the evolution of the damage zones, can be divided into two stages. A relatively rapid decrease in fracture toughness in the first stage is primarily caused by the spread of the scattered damage zones along the Pl–Qtz interfaces; subsequently, a gentler fracture toughness degradation results mainly from the extension of the previous damage zones.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%