Meso-scopic deformation in brittle granular materials

Abstract

Compaction is the process of removing void-space from a porous material. In brittle particulate systems, the majority of densification is caused by particle fracture. This preliminary study aimed to investigate the differences in fracture behaviour between quasi-statically and shock loaded glass-microsphere beds. Macro-scale quasi-static (20 μm s−1) and dynamic compaction curves were measured that show subtle qualitative differences in stress-density space. Samples were recovered from a quasi-static and dynamic experiment at a similar order of stress. Differences in fracture behaviour were observed that may explain the differences in crush curves. Results suggest that the primary total-fracture process occurs relatively instantaneously at low stresses in the quasi-static regime. The sphere fracture process is slow relative to the stress-wave therefore causing a different fracture pattern in the shock regime.