Abstract
Abstract. E-twinning is a common plastic deformation mechanism in calcite deformed at low temperature. Strain rate, temperature and confining pressure have negligible effects on twinning activation which is mainly dependent on differential stress. The critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) required for twinning activation is dependent on grain size and strain hardening. This CRSS value may obey the Hall–Petch relation, but due to sparse experimental data its actual evolution with grain size and strain still remains a matter of debate. In order to provide additional constraints on twinning activation and development, new mechanical tests were carried out at room temperature on unconfined single crystals of calcite, with different sizes and crystallographic orientations. Uniaxial deformation was performed at a controlled displacement rate, while the sample surface was monitored using optical microscopy and a high-resolution CCD (charge-coupled device) camera. The retrieved macroscopic stress–strain behavior of the crystals was correlated with the surface observations of the deformation process. Results show (1) the onset of crystal plasticity with the activation of the first isolated mechanical twins during the strain hardening stage, and (2) the densification and thickening of twin lamellae during the steady-state flow stress stage. Such thickening of twin lamellae at room temperature emphasizes that calcite twin morphology is not controlled solely by temperature. The different values for the CRSS obtained for the activation of isolated twins and for the onset of twin densification and thickening raises questions regarding the appropriate value to be considered when using calcite twin data for stress inversion purposes.
Highlights
Calcite is a common mineral in the Earth’s upper crust, forming different types of sedimentary or metamorphic rocks
Twin lamellae are commonly observed to be thin ( ≤ 1 μm) below 170–200 ◦C and to become thicker (2–5 μm) above this temperature for a given amount of twinning strain (e.g., Ferrill et al, 2004). This relationship between twin thickness and temperature has recently been challenged by Rybacki et al (2013) who emphasized that the increasing duration of stress application – the increasing strain – may cause widening of twin lamellae even at room temperature
The single crystal was replaced into the deformation rig and further subjected to uniaxial compression in order to observe the evolution of twinning deformation and the corresponding strain hardening with the increase of the applied axial strain
Summary
Calcite is a common mineral in the Earth’s upper crust, forming different types of sedimentary (carbonates) or metamorphic (marbles) rocks. Deformation modes of calcite aggregates have been investigated experimentally since the early 1950s (e.g., Turner, 1949; Griggs and Miller, 1951; Handin and Griggs, 1951; Turner and Ch’ih, 1951; Griggs et al, 1951, 1953; Friedman and Heard, 1974; Schmid and Paterson, 1977; Rowe and Rutter, 1990; Lacombe and Laurent, 1996; De Bresser and Spiers, 1993, 1997; Laurent et al, 2000; Rybacki et al, 2013) These studies have provided information about different mechanisms allow calcite crystals to accommodate deformation under various pressure (P ), temperature (T ) and strain rate conditions. Another matter of debate deals with the existence (and with the value) of a threshold stress for the activation of twinning, which is defined
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