Abstract
Understanding the variations of the physical-mechanical properties of the surrounding rock in coupled thermal and acidic groundwater erosion environment, from the perspective of its micro-structure, is crucial for ensuring the safety and long-term sustainability of rock engineering (e.g., tunnels, slopes, shafts). In this study, the relationship between the mechanical behavior and microstructure evolutions of red sandstone from the southern part of Jiangxi Province, China, under thermal and chemical erosion treatments is experimentally investigated. The results show that the micro-structure of red sandstone is dominated by micropores, accounting for about 60% when the heating temperature is lower than 700 °C. 700-800 °C is the temperature range in which the internal pore structure of red sandstone is remarkably changed, and the proportion of macropores, mesopores, and cracks grows gradually, whereas the proportion of micropores shows a declining trend. Both tensile strength and P-wave velocity show a significant decrease subjected to high temperatures beyond 700 °C and acid solution erosion. The internal microstructure of red sandstone shows a large number of trans-granular cracks due to thermal stress and mineral reaction, while the erosion by acid solution causes a large increase of secondary pores. In addition, the micro-structural changes were further elaborated by the variations of mineral element (Si and O) content tested by the Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS). To sum up, the fundamental mechanism governing the degradation of macroscopic physical properties and tensile strength involves mineral phase transitions and ion exchanges induced by the combined effects of temperature and acid solution erosion, leading to the damage of the microstructure and the development of cracks.
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Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52274082), the Jiangxi Provincial Natural Science Foundation (20202ACB214006), the Innovative Experts, Long-term Program of Jiangxi Province (jxsq2018106049), the State Key Laboratory of Mining Response and Disaster Prevention and Control in Deep Coal Mines (SKLMRDPC22KF17), the Yunlong Lake Laboratory of Deep Underground Science and Engineering (KC22062, BK20231157), the Program of Qingjiang Excellent Young Talents, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology (JXUSTQJBJ2020003), and the Jiangsu Excellent Postdoctoral Program (2022ZB509).
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Zeng, W., Huang, Z., Li, X. et al. Micro-damage evolution and macro-degradation of red sandstone under thermal and chemical erosion conditions. Bull Eng Geol Environ 83, 74 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-024-03573-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-024-03573-5