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A new method to rapidly and accurately assess the mechanical properties of geologically relevant materials

  • Pu Deng , Sean V. Herrera and Barton C. Prorok
Published/Copyright: September 4, 2021
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American Mineralogist
From the journal American Mineralogist Volume 106 Issue 9

Abstract

A new indentation-based method was developed that will impact and facilitate the elastic property measurements of rocks and minerals, especially those possessing unusual deformation behavior, including brittle materials and those with complex architectures. The novel feature employed is a metallic film that uniformly transfers the load from the indenter tip to the sample. The film also absorbs the damage caused by the penetrating indenter, shielding the material from highly localized deformation that can impact its response to loading. Many geologically relevant materials have resisted traditional indentation testing because they are either brittle in nature or possess highly anisotropic architectures, such as layered or lamellar structures. In both cases, the highly localized deformation from direct indentation significantly affects the indenter unloading stiffness, from which the elastic properties are determined. The indirect indentation method developed here has demonstrated accurate determination of the elastic properties of many common geological materials as well as materials that have resisted elastic characterization such as galena and talc.

Keywords: Indentation; elastic properties; lamellar structure; highly localized deformation

Funding statement: This work was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, Engineering Directorate, Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI) under Contract No. CMMI-1435428.

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Received: 2020-01-31
Accepted: 2020-10-18
Published Online: 2021-09-04
Published in Print: 2021-09-27

© 2021 Mineralogical Society of America

Articles in the same Issue

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  13. Controls on tetrahedral Fe(III) abundance in 2:1 phyllosilicates—Discussion
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https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2021-7455
Keywords for this article
Indentation; elastic properties; lamellar structure; highly localized deformation

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Stable and transient isotopic trends in the crustal evolution of Zealandia Cordillera
  2. An evolutionary system of mineralogy, Part V: Aqueous and thermal alteration of planetesimals (~4565 to 4550 Ma)
  3. Cr2O3 in corundum: Ultrahigh contents under reducing conditions
  4. Plagioclase population dynamics and zoning in response to changes in temperature and pressure
  5. Limited channelized fluid infiltration in the Torres del Paine contact aureole
  6. Quantitative determination of the shock stage of L6 ordinary chondrites using X-ray diffraction
  7. A new method to rapidly and accurately assess the mechanical properties of geologically relevant materials
  8. Two-stage magmatism and tungsten mineralization in the Nanling Range, South China: Evidence from the Jurassic Helukou deposit
  9. Constraints on scheelite genesis at the Dabaoshan stratabound polymetallic deposit, South China
  10. Crystal chemistry of schreibersite, (Fe,Ni)3P
  11. Letter
  12. Elastic geobarometry: How to work with residual inclusion strains and pressures
  13. Controls on tetrahedral Fe(III) abundance in 2:1 phyllosilicates—Discussion
  14. Controls on tetrahedral Fe(III) abundance in 2:1 phyllosilicates—Reply
  15. New Mineral Names*
  16. Book Review
  17. Book Review: Geochronology and Thermochronology
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