Abstract

The dependence of strength, ductility, and preferred orientation of polycrystalline anhydrite upon confining pressure (up to 5 kbar), temperature (up to 300° C), and strain (up to 30%) has been evaluated by compression tests. Strength and ductility increase at room temperature with increasing mantle pressure. Up to 1 kbar mantle pressure anhydrite is brittle and failure occurs by tension and shear fractures. Homogeneous flow between 1 and 3 kbar mantle pressure is mostly due to intercrystalline slip which is sensitive to pressure. Beyond the elastic limit the stress—strain curves are nearly horizontal. No preferred orientation develops. Between 3 and 4 kbar mantle pressure the intracrystalline mechanisms become noticeable. The stress—strain curves show weak strain hardening. The (210)-planes reveal a weak preferred orientation perpendicular to the axis of compression. With increasing temperature the strength decreases at low strains (< 5%). Intracrystalline mechanisms become more dominant, because the critical resolved shear stresses are lower with increasing temperature. At high strains (> 15%) both strength and ductility increase at higher temperatures. At even higher strains, strain hardening ceases once again and the stress—strain curves become nearly horizontal. From that point on preferred orientation is no longer increased. The stress—strain curves differ with the orientation of the specimen axis to the original fabric.

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