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Effect of High Temperature on Mineralogy, Microstructure, Shear Stiffness and Tensile Strength of Two Australian Mudstones

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Abstract

This study aims at providing quality experimental data on the effects of temperature on tensile strength and small strain shear stiffness of two Australian mudstones. The objective is to provide multiscale data in view of developing a numerical model that can capture and simulate the complex multiphysics of underground coal fire propagation. Two mudstones were collected in the Hunter Valley, close to a known underground coal fire, referred to as “Burning Mountain.” The rock specimens were heated to a range of temperatures (maximum of 900 °C) for 24 h, and the materials were comprehensively characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analyses, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. In addition, mercury intrusion porosimetry was used in order to track changes in pore size distribution with temperature. Investigations at microscale were complemented by testing at the macroscale. In particular, the paper focuses on the evolution of the tensile strength and small strain shear stiffness as the materials are subjected to heating treatment. Results show that both parameters evolve in a non-monotonic manner with temperature. The observed mechanical responses are fully explained and corroborated by microstructural observations.

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Acknowledgments

The authors kindly acknowledge the financial support of the Australian Research Council (Linkage project ID: LP100200717) and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Geotechnical Science and Engineering. The authors would also like to express their gratitude to Dr. Jubert Pineda for his great help with developing Brazilian test apparatus and of setting up shear wave measurement system, to Prof. Terry Wall for allowing us to perform the heating treatment of rocks using their temperature-controlled furnace, to Dr. Yanyan Sun for her help with the preparation of thin sections and optical microscopy observation and to Dr. David Phelan and Dr. Jenny Zobec for their help with scanning electron microscopy observation and X-ray diffraction analysis, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Priority Research Centre for Geotechnical and Materials Modelling, ARC Centre of Excellence for Geotechnical Sciences and Engineering, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia

    Xianfeng Liu, Chonglei Zhang, Shengyang Yuan, Stephen Fityus, Scott William Sloan & Olivier Buzzi

  2. Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Earth Surface Processes, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China

    Chonglei Zhang

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  1. Xianfeng Liu
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  2. Chonglei Zhang
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  3. Shengyang Yuan
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  4. Stephen Fityus
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  5. Scott William Sloan
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  6. Olivier Buzzi
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Correspondence to Olivier Buzzi.

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Liu, X., Zhang, C., Yuan, S. et al. Effect of High Temperature on Mineralogy, Microstructure, Shear Stiffness and Tensile Strength of Two Australian Mudstones. Rock Mech Rock Eng 49, 3513–3524 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-016-1024-y

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