Mechanical Compression Tests Research Articles

Surface wave elastography using high speed full-field optical interferometry

The assessment of mechanical stiffness is an essential diagnostic tool for investigating the biomechanical properties of biological tissues. Surface wave elastography (SWE) is an emerging technique to quantify elastic properties of tissues in clinical diagnosis. High-speed optical imaging combined with SWE has enormous potential in quantifying the elastic properties of tissues at microscale resolutions. In this study, we implement surface wave elastography using high-speed optical interferometry to characterize the elastic properties of tissue-mimicking phantoms and ex-vivo native caprine liver tissue by imaging the surface wave induced by an electromechanical actuator. The sinusoidal mechanical excitations ranging from 120 Hz to 1.2 kHz on the surface of tissues are captured using a high-speed camera with a frame rate of 4 kHz at micrometer resolutions. The surface wavefront reconstruction is performed using a phase-shifting algorithm and linear regression is used to calculate the surface wave velocity. The mechanical stiffness estimated from the optical system is compared with the results of mechanical compression testing measurements. The results from this multimodal platform combining optical interferometry and vibrational spectroscopy using SWE are highly promising towards a non-invasive or minimally invasive imaging for in-vivo and ex-vivo mechanical characterization of tissues with future clinical applications.

Fabrication of Ti-6Al-4V Porous Scaffolds Using Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Mechanical Compression Test for Biomedical Applications

Fabrication of Ti-6Al-4V Porous Scaffolds Using Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Mechanical Compression Test for Biomedical Applications

Piezoresistive 3D graphene–PDMS spongy pressure sensors for IoT enabled wearables and smart products

Recently, 3D porous graphene–polymer composite-based piezoresistive sensors have gained significant traction in the field of flexible electronics owing to their ultralightweight nature, high compressability, robustness, and excellent electromechanical properties. In this work, we present an improved facile recipe for developing repeatable, reliable, and linear 3D graphene–polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) spongy sensors for internet of things (IoT)-enabled wearable systems and smart consumer products. Fundamental morphological characterization and sensing performance assessment of the piezoresistive 3D graphene–polymer sensor were conducted to establish its suitability for the development of squeezable, flexible, and skin-mountable human motion sensors. The density and porosity of the sponges were determined to be 250 mg cm−3 and 74% respectively. Mechanical compressive loading tests conducted on the sensors revealed an average elastic modulus as low as ∼56.7 kPa. Dynamic compressive force-resistance change response tests conducted on four identical sensors revealed a linear piezoresistive response (in the compressive load range 0.42–2.18 N) with an average force sensitivity of 0.3470 ± 0.0794 N−1. In addition, an accelerated lifetime test comprising 1500 compressive loading cycles (at 3.90 N uniaxial compressive loading) was conducted to demonstrate the long-term reliability and stability of the sensor. To test the applicability of the sensors in smart wearables, four identical graphene–PDMS sponges were configured on the fingertip regions of a soft nitrile glove to develop a pressure sensing smart glove for real-time haptic pressure monitoring. Similarly, the sensors were also integrated into the Philips 9000 series electric shaver to realize smart shaving applications with the ability to monitor shaving motions. Furthermore, the readiness of our system for next-generation IoT-enabled applications was demonstrated by integrating the smart glove with an embedded system software utilizing the an open source microcontroller platform. The system was capable of identifying real-time qualitative pressure distribution across the fingertips while grasping daily life objects, thus establishing the suitability of such sensors for next-generation wearables for prosthetics, consumer devices, and personalized healthcare monitoring devices.

Expanded (Black) Cork for the Development of an Eco-Friendly Surfboard: Environmental Impact and Mechanical Properties

Based on global needs for sustainable development, finding new sustainable materials that can replace oil-based ones for mass products is crucial nowadays. This paper focuses on employing an expanded cork-based composite to produce a surfboard. To evaluate the mechanical properties, uniaxial tensile and compression tests were performed on the skin and core materials, respectively. Bending tests were performed on the entire representative composite structure. Numerical models of the tests were arranged and validated from experimental results. From that, a surfboard prototype model was used to simulate some experimental conditions, permitting us to draw promising conclusions. An actual prototype was also produced. It was found that expanded cork performs very well when sandwiched between wood and polyester resin/glass fibre, being able to hold substantial loads and at the same time reduce weight and the environmental footprint of the composite by 62.8%. It can be concluded that expanded cork is an excellent candidate to replace oil-based foams in surfboard manufacturing. Despite a slight increase in weight, this sustainable material aligns with all the philosophies of surf practice worldwide.

A new study of dynamic mechanical analysis and the microstructure of polyurethane foams filled.

Polyurethane foams have good shock-absorbing properties. This article discusses the study of the physical, dynamic analysis, and microstructure of filled polyurethane foams (PUR). We used mineral fillings nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and calcium carbonate (C1) to support and strengthen the foam cell structure to develop shock absorption and thermal resistance properties. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and compression tests compared the mechanic characterization results with different modelling approaches. For studies of physicochemical properties, we used differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). We deduced the flame retardancy mechanism. It appears that a detailed description of the characteristics of viscosity and yield stress must take into consideration the filler's size in comparison to the cell wall's size. The effect of size distribution on the foam's microstructure was given by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Half-open spherical cells were shown to be reduced in size with filling. The filler diffusion in polyurethane foams was used to model the composite foam. We observed that crystalline filler particles were uniformly distributed in the matrix, indicating that the total size is related to the density and is a crucial metric for the level of reinforcement.

Preliminary evaluation of Pier cap from an ASR affected bridge in Central Canada

The Bridge, a highway bridge structure, was built using a suspected alkali-silica reactive aggregate in the 1960’s in a city in central Canada. Its concrete elements experienced rapid deterioration resulting in the need for costly increased repairs and rehabilitations. Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is one of several damage mechanisms which might be contributing to damage of concrete elements. Infrastructure in central Canada experiences frequent freeze-thaw cycles, and heavy use of de-icing salts in winter as well as high heat and humidity in summer which might intensify distress. In recent years several concrete elements were selected for further assessment. Among them, five segments of a decommissioned Pier cap were selected for preliminary evaluation through visual inspection (conventional, semi-quantitative and quantitative using the cracking index) and non-destructive techniques (Schmidt hammer, ultrasonic pulse velocity and surface resistivity). Preliminary assessment results will be used to determine the appropriate locations (i.e., demonstrating the lowest/ highest deterioration) to extract cores for further assessment. Future work will be conducted on extracted cores using a multi-level assessment technique consisting of mechanical (compressive testing and stiffness-damage test) and microscopic procedures (the damage rating index and SEM) to assess the condition of the Pier cap.

Composite scaffolds of chitosan/polycaprolactone functionalized with protein of <i>Mytilus californiensis</i> for bone tissue regeneration

<abstract> <p>Nowadays, the treatment for bone damage remains a significant challenge. As a result, the development of bioactive three-dimensional scaffolds for bone regeneration has become a key area of study within tissue engineering. This research is focused on the evaluation of the properties of Chitosan (Ch)/Polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds with the <italic>Mytilus californiensis</italic> protein by Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIPS). This study used the extrapalleal fluid protein from <italic>Mytilus californiensis</italic> because it increases biological processes that support bone regeneration. Two methodologies were used for the scaffolds functionalization: (I) an immersion process in a solution with the protein and (II) the protein direct addition during the scaffold synthesis. The scaffolds were analyzed by Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Mechanical Compression test to determine the composition, morphology, and mechanical properties of each material. <italic>In vitro</italic> analysis of biodegradation, bioactivity, and biocompatibility were also performed. The scaffolds with the protein added directly presented superior properties in the tests of bioactivity and cellular proliferation, making these composites attractive for the area of bone regeneration.</p> </abstract>

Effect of Conditioning on PU Foam Matrix Materials Properties.

This article deals with the characterization of the thermal-induced aging of soft polyurethane (PU) foams. There are studied thermal and mechanical properties by means of thermal analysis, tensile, compression and dynamic mechanical vibration testing. It was found in this study, that the increasing relative humidity of the surrounding atmosphere leads to the initiation of the degradation processes. This is reflected in the observed decreased mechanical stiffness. It is attributed to the plasticization of the PU foams wall material. It is in agreement with the observed increase of the permanent deformation accompanied simultaneously with the decrease of Young’s modulus of elasticity. The latter phenomenon is studied by the novel non-destructive forced oscillations vibration-damping testing, which is confirmed by observed lower mechanical stiffness thus indicating the loss of the elasticity induced by samples conditioning. In parallel, observed decreasing of the matrix hardness is confirming the loss of elastic mechanical performance as well. The effect of conditioning leads to the significant loss of the PU foam’s thermal stability.

Full-field experimental analysis of the influence of microstructural parameters on the mechanical properties of humeral head trabecular bone.

Understanding the mechanical properties of trabecular bone within the metaphysis of the proximal humerus is becoming increasingly important for the design of humeral head joint replacement components that prioritize bone preservation. The aim of this study was to perform full-field mechanical testing methods on isolated trabecular bone cores from the humeral head to experimentally measure the local magnitude of strain before macroscopic failure and to characterize the ultimate strength of each core. Isolated cubic trabecular bone cores were extracted from the center of humeral head osteotomies retrieved from (1) patients with end-stage osteoarthritis (OA) undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) and (2) normal nonpathologic cadaveric humeral heads. A custom computed tomography (CT)-compatible loading device was used to perform compressive mechanical testing. For 10 of the OA specimens, stepwise loading was performed directly within a microCT scanner and digital volume correlation (DVC) was used to measure full-field strains throughout the trabecular structure. A higher variability in ultimate strength was measured for the trabecular cores retrieved from OA humeral heads (range: 2.8-7.6 MPa) compared to the normal cadaveric humeral heads (range: 2.2-5.4 MPa), but no statistically significant difference between the groups was found (p = 0.06). Ultimate strength was strongly correlated with bone volume fraction (OA r2 = 0.72; normal r2 = 0.76) and bone mineral content (OA r2 = 0.79; normal r2 = 0.77). At the trabecular level, 95th percentile of third principal strains, measured at a subvolume size of 152 µm, exceeded 19,000 µε for each of the 10 specimens (range: -19,551 to -36,535 µε) before macroscopic failure of the cores occured. No strong linear correlations (r2 ≥ 0.50) were found between the median or 95th percentile of DVC third principal strain and the corresponding morphometric parameters of each individual bone core. The results of this study indicate that bone volume fraction and bone mineral content heavily influence the apparent ultimate strength of trabecular bone cores collected from OA patients undergoing TSA. Clinical significance: The strong correlations observed within this study further emphasize the importance of considering bone mineral content or bone volume fraction measurements in assessing the localized risk of trabecular bone fracture for orthopedic applications.

Effect of Borpolymer on Mechanical and Structural Parameters of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene.

The paper presents the results of studying the effect of borpolymer (BP) on the mechanical properties, structure, and thermodynamic parameters of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). Changes in the mechanical characteristics of polymer composites material (PCM) are confirmed and complemented by structural studies. X-ray crystallography (XRC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and infrared spectroscopy (IR) were used to study the melting point, morphology and composition of the filler, which corresponds to the composition and data of the certificate of the synthesized BP. Tensile and compressive mechanical tests were carried out in accordance with generally accepted standards (ASTM). It is shown that BP is an effective modifier for UHMWPE, contributing to a significant increase in the deformation and strength characteristics of the composite: tensile strength of PCM by 56%, elongation at break by 28% and compressive strength at 10% strain by 65% compared to the initial UHMWPE, due to intensive changes in the supramolecular structure of the matrix. Structural studies revealed that BP does not chemically interact with UHMWPE, but due to its high adhesion to the polymer, it acts as a reinforcing filler. SEM was used to establish the formation of a spherulite supramolecular structure of polymer composites.

Utilization of Iron Ore Slag in The Manufacture of Calcium Silicate Boards

This study aims to determine the iron ore slag effect as an additive in particleboard based on the SNI 7705:2011 standard. Iron ore slag comes from the waste processing of iron ore into sponge iron. The iron ore slag is reduced to a size of 200 mesh. Particleboard made with the composition of slag and silica is 0:40, 8:32, 16:24, 20:20, 24:16, 32:8, and 40:0 wt%. Meanwhile, other materials were made permanent, namely PCC cement and lime 16 wt%, coconut fiber 3wt%, and water 3 wt%. They are pressed with 3 tons of pressure for 1 hour using a hydraulic press. Drying at room temperature for one day, under the hot sun for two days, then in an oven at 110 oC for 8 hrs. Analysis of the chemical composition of X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction crystalline phase, SEM-EDS micro-photographs, physical tests including density and porosity, and mechanical compressive strength tests. The dominant composition of SiO2 and CaO affects the formation of silicon dioxide (SiO2), calcium silicate (CaSiO3), and dicalcium silicate (Ca2SiO4) phases. Silica has a positive effect on the compressive strength of particleboard but is different from Ca, which has an impact on reducing the compressive strength. The sem morphology shows that coconut fiber cannot withstand heating at 190 oC and results in agglomeration. The addition of 20% ore slag and silica has met the calcium silicate board SNI 7705-2011. These results can be used to develop slag waste from iron ore processing into much more useful objects.

Biocompatible Customized 3D Bone Scaffolds Treated with CRFP, an Osteogenic Peptide.

Background: Currently used synthetic bone graft substitutes (BGS) are either too weak to bear the principal load or if metallic, they can support loading, but can lead to stress shielding and are unable to integrate fully. In this study, we developed biocompatible, 3D printed scaffolds derived from µCT images of the bone that can overcome these issues and support the growth of osteoblasts. Methods: Cylindrical scaffolds were fabricated with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and Stratasys® MED 610 (MED610) materials. The 3D-printed scaffolds were seeded with Mus musculus calvaria cells (MC3T3). After the cells attained confluence, osteogenesis was induced with and without the addition of calcitonin receptor fragment peptide (CRFP) and the bone matrix production was analyzed. Mechanical compression testing was carried out to measure compressive strength, stiffness, and elastic modulus. Results: For the ABS scaffolds, there was a 9.8% increase in compressive strength (p < 0.05) in the scaffolds with no pre-coating and the treatment with CRFP, compared to non-treated scaffolds. Similarly, MED610 scaffolds treated with CRFP showed an 11.9% (polylysine pre-coating) and a 20% (no pre-coating) increase (p < 0.01) in compressive strength compared to non-treated scaffolds. Conclusions: MED610 scaffolds are excellent BGS as they support osteoblast growth and show enhanced bone growth with enhanced compressive strength when augmented with CRFP.

Supercritical CO2-Shale interaction induced natural fracture closure: Implications for scCO2 hydraulic fracturing in shales

Multi-stage hydraulic fracturing has been identified as a must to develop shale gas reservoirs by increasing the stimulated reservoir volume (SRV). Supercritical CO2 (scCO2) has been studied as an alternating fracturing fluid due to its tendency to solve numerous problems associated with conventional aqueous based hydraulic fracturing such as formation damage, clay swelling, water scarcity and ground water contamination. However, its consequences to the host rock are not well understood. It has been recognized that scCO2-shale interaction alters the petrophysical properties during the long-term exposure of shale into scCO2, far little attention has been paid to understand the impact of this process for the short term. Thus, laboratory fracturing experiments using scCO2 on cubic shale samples (50 × 50 × 50 mm) in true triaxial stress cell (TTSC) were conducted. X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging and low-pressure N2 adsorption were also performed to gain a deeper understanding of the fluid-rock interactions on the studied shales at a short-time process. Post-fracturing x-ray CT scans revealed a significant reduction, in the range of 14% to 46%, in the aperture of the natural fractures, indicating towards a possible scCO2 induced swelling. Mechanical compression test on the sample results in around 12% reduction in the fracture aperture, ruling out the possibility of confining stress being the key factor behind the fracture closure observed during fracturing. scCO2 soaking and N2 adsorption experiments showed the narrowing down of the macropores after scCO2 treatment implying the adsorption swelling as one of the controlling factors for the reduction of fracture aperture. Taken together, our results suggest that scCO2-shale interactions during the short term process of hydraulic fracturing can contribute to decreasing the conductivity of pathways between matrix and hydraulic fractures and hence adversely affecting the post-fracturing productivity of the rock.

Hybrid Composite Material Reinforced with Carbon Nanolaminates for Gradient Stiffness: Preparation and Characterization.

Currently, the procurement of lightweight, tough, and impact resistant materials is garnering significant industrial interest. New hybrid materials can be developed on the basis of the numerous naturally found materials with gradient properties found in nature. However, previous studies on granular materials demonstrate the possibility of capturing the energy generated by an impact within the material itself, thus deconstructing the initial impulse into a series of weaker impulses, dissipating the energy through various mechanisms, and gradually releasing undissipated energy. This work focuses on two production methods: spin coating for creating a granular material with composition and property gradients (an acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) polymer matrix reinforced by carbon nanolaminates at 0.10%, 0.25%, and 0.50%) and 3D printing for generating viscoelastic layers. The aim of this research was to obtain a hybrid material from which better behaviour against shocks and impacts and increased energy dissipation capacity could be expected when the granular material and viscoelastic layers were combined. Nondestructive tests were employed for the morphological characterization of the nanoreinforcement and testing reinforcement homogeneity within the matrix. Furthermore, the Voronoï tessellation method was used as a mathematical method to supplement the results. Finally, mechanical compression tests were performed to reveal additional mechanical properties of the material that had not been specified by the manufacturer of the 3D printing filaments.

Fracture strength of teeth with coronal destruction after core build-up restoration with bulk fill materials.

This study aimed to evaluate the fracture strength and failure modes of different core techniques in teeth with simulated coronal destruction. Forty teeth were endodontically prepared and the specimens were divided into four experimental groups (n= 10) according to the core composition: Filtek One Bulk Fill-FOBF, Filtek Z350 XT-FZ350 (standard group), Filtek Bulk Fill Flow-FBFF, and LuxaCore Z-LCZ. CAD/CAM Monolithic zirconia crowns were obtained and cemented with RelyX U200. After storage in distilled water at 37°C for 48 h, the specimens were subjected to thermal cycling and to compressive strength mechanical tests. Statistical analyses (α= 0.05) were performed by non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis, Dunn post hoc, and Fisher's exact tests. No significant differences (p> 0.05) were observed among FOBF, FZ350, and FBFF (mean ranks=20.30, 12.20, and 23.20, respectively). LCZ (mean rank=26.30) produced results similar to those of FOBF and FBFF (p> 0.05) and higher than those of FZ350 (p= 0.042). The most frequent type of failure was irreparable, regardless of the experimental condition. The lowest percentages of reparable fractures were produced by FOBF group (10%). The use of bulk fill materials, including the "core-and-post" LCZ dual-cure resin composite, did not impair the fracture strength of endodontically treated teeth with coronal destruction. Resin composite bulk fill materials that can be used as a core-and-post cementation in an only stage are interesting, since they enable clinicians to work with one only material, and avoid several materials interfaces, technical sensitivity, and longer chair-time due to multistep procedures.

Natural Fluorite from Órgiva Deposit (Spain). A Study of Its Pozzolanic and Mechanical Properties

This work presents the results of the partial substitution of Portland cement (PC) by natural fluorite (NF) and calcined fluorite (CF) in mortars, at 10%, 25% and 40%. To meet these objectives, a sample of fluorite was initially studied by XRD, SEM and Raman Spectroscopy (RS). A chemical quality analysis (CQA) and a chemical pozzolanicity test (CPT) at 8 and 15 days were carried out in a second stage to establish the pozzolanic properties of the investigated sample. Finally, a mechanical compressive strength test (MCST) at 7, 28 and 90 days was carried out on specimens made up with PC/NF and PC/CF mixes, at a ratio of 10%, 25% and 40%. XRD, SEM and RS results indicated fluorite as the major mineralogical phase. The CPT and CQA showed an increase in the pozzolanicity of the samples from 8 to 15 days. The MCST showed an increase in compressive strength from 7 to 90 days for both PC/NF and PC/CF specimens. The results obtained establish that fluorite produces positive effects in the mortar and contributes to the gain of mechanical strength over time, being a suitable material for the manufacture of cements with pozzolanic addition with a reduction of CO2 emissions, and by reducing the energy costs of production.

State of the art methods to post-process mechanical test data to characterize the hot deformation behavior of metals

Materials engineering and science rely heavily on the indirect measurement of plastic stress and strain by post-processing of mechanical test data, including tension, torsion, and compression test. There is no consensus among researchers regarding the best test or the post-processing theory nor do adequate standards exist on the characterization methods. The tests are typically performed as customized tests, discrepancies exist in the flow curves obtained by different methods and the chosen mechanical test. More critically, the curves are dominantly treated (perceived) as a set of measured data rather than calculated values. The plasticity-based calculated flow curves and their gradients are, in turn, the basis for several second-tier indirect measurements, such as stacking fault energy and recrystallization. Such measurements are quite prone to errors due to oversimplified post-processing of the tests’ data and can only be experimentally verified in a qualitative or in an average fashion. Therefore, their findings are highly restricted by the limitations of each test, data type and post-processing method, and should be used carefully. This review examines some of the most commonly used data conversion methods and some recent developments in the field followed by recommendations. It will highlight the need to develop test rigs that can provide new data types and to provide advanced post-processing techniques for the indirect measurement.

Study on the bedding angle on the mechanical properties of shale

Conventional mechanical tests under static loading can prove that the angle of the shale bedding plane is the main reason for the anisotropy of its mechanical behavior. In order to explore the influence of the angle in the layer on the anisotropic mechanical behavior of shale, the uniaxial compression mechanical tests were carried out under the conditions of 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90°. The results show that (1) the anisotropy degree of shale compressive strength shows the “W” type with the increase in the bedding angle, while the anisotropy degree of elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio shows the “V” type with the influence of the bedding angle, but the minimum value of elastic modulus is around 45° and the minimum value of Poisson’s ratio is around 30°; and (2) the analysis of variance has a significant effect on compressive strength, elastic modulus, and Poisson’s ratio. Generally speaking, the anisotropic mechanical characteristics of shale have a great influence with the change in the bedding angle. The research conclusion is helpful to understand the mechanical behavior of shale.

Validation and Optimization of Proximal Femurs Microstructure Analysis Using High Field and Ultra-High Field MRI.

Trabecular bone could be assessed non-invasively using MRI. However, MRI does not yet provide resolutions lower than trabecular thickness and a comparative analysis between different MRI sequences at different field strengths and X-ray microtomography (μCT) is still missing. In this study, we compared bone microstructure parameters and bone mineral density (BMD) computed using various MRI approaches, i.e., turbo spin echo (TSE) and gradient recalled echo (GRE) images used at different magnetic fields, i.e., 7T and 3T. The corresponding parameters computed from μCT images and BMD derived from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) were used as the ground truth. The correlation between morphological parameters, BMD and fracture load assessed by mechanical compression tests was evaluated. Histomorphometric parameters showed a good agreement between 7T TSE and μCT, with 8% error for trabecular thickness with no significative statistical difference and a good intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC > 0.5) for all the extrapolated parameters. No correlation was found between DXA-BMD and all morphological parameters, except for trabecular interconnectivity (R2 > 0.69). Good correlation (p-value < 0.05) was found between failure load and trabecular interconnectivity (R2 > 0.79). These results suggest that MRI could be of interest for bone microstructure assessment. Moreover, the combination of morphological parameters and BMD could provide a more comprehensive view of bone quality.

Fragmentation of fuel pellets during transport via a belt conveyor: A design of experiment study

This work investigates the proportion of generated fines in a pilot-scale experiment using a belt conveyor and commercial fuel pellets. For this, a belt conveyor with a length of 3.1 m was used and operated at varying conditions: speeds, percentages of material loading on the belt, two combinations of the inclination angle of the belt and the falling height, and a different number of handling steps. We considered a design of experiments approach based on response surface methodology to investigate the effect of different conditions on the potential of fines generation. Moreover, a comparison between the results of the belt conveyor and three common benchmark experimental approaches (tumbling box, rotary impact tester, and mechanical compression test) was made. Results show that the number of handling steps and the combined effect of drop height and inclination angle directly affected the fines generation. However, the tested belt speed range and the level of loading were of lower significance. A polynomial quadratic model was derived based on the regression analysis and showed a high accuracy to predict the proportion of fines. Moreover, the tumbling box method showed good potential to predict the proportion of fines in a belt conveyor when transported several times.