Micromechanical testing and property upscaling of planetary rocks:A critical review

Knowledge of the mechanical behavior of planetary rocks is indispensable for space explorations.The scarcity of pristine samples and the irregular shapes of planetary meteorites make it difficult to obtain representative samples for conventional macroscale rock mechanics experiments(macro-RMEs).This critical review discusses recent advances in microscale RMEs(micro-RMEs)techniques and the upscaling methods for extracting mechanical parameters.Methods of mineralogical and microstructural analyses,along with non-destructive mechanical techniques,have provided new opportunities for studying planetary rocks with unprecedented precision and capabilities.First,we summarize several mainstream methods for obtaining the mineralogy and microstructure of planetary rocks.Then,nondestructive micromechanical testing methods,nanoindentation and atomic force microscopy(AFM),are detailed reviewed,illustrating the principles,advantages,influencing factors,and available testing results from literature.Subsequently,several feasible upscaling methods that bridge the micro-measurements of meteorite pieces to the strength of the intact body are introduced.Finally,the potential applications of planetary rock mechanics research to guiding the design and execution of space missions are environed,ranging from sample return missions and planetary defense to extraterrestrial construction.These discussions are expected to broaden the understanding of the microscale mechanical properties of planetary rocks and their significant role in deep space exploration.

Investigations of the mechanical response of dummy HTPB propellant grain under ultrahigh acceleration overload conditions using onboard flight-test measurements

In this paper,to study the mechanical responses of a solid propellant subjected to ultrahigh acceleration overload during the gun-launch process,specifically designed projectile flight tests with an onboard measurement system were performed.Two projectiles containing dummy HTPB propellant grains were successfully recovered after the flight tests with an ultrahigh acceleration overload value of 8100 g.The onboard-measured time-resolved axial displacement,contact stress and overload values were successfully obtained and analysed.Uniaxial compression tests of the dummy HTPB propellant used in the gunlaunched tests were carried out at low and intermediate strain rates to characterize the propellant's dynamic properties.A linear viscoelastic constitutive model was employed and applied in finite-element simulations of the projectile-launching process.During the launch process,the dummy propellant grain exhibited large deformation due to the high acceleration overload,possibly leading to friction between the motor case and propellant grain.The calculated contact stress showed good agreement with the experimental results,though discrepancies in the overall displacement of the dummy propellant grain were observed.The dynamic mechanical response process of the dummy propellant grain was analysed in detail.The results can be used to estimate the structural integrity of the analysed dummy propellant grain during the gun-launch process.

Mechanical anisotropy associated with beddings in shale under Brazilian test conditions:Insights from acoustic emission statistics

A comprehensive understanding of shale’s bedding anisotropy is crucial for shale-related engineering activities,such as hydraulic fracturing,drilling and underground excavation.In this study,seven Brazilian tests were conducted on shale samples at different bedding orientations with respect to the loading direction(0°,45°and 90°)and the disc end face(0°,45°and 90°).An acoustic emission(AE)system was employed to capture the evolution of damage and the temporal-spatial distribution of microcracks under splitting-tensile stress.The results show that the Brazilian tensile strength decreases with increasing bedding inclination with respect to the disc end face,while it increases with the angle between bedding and loading directions.Increasing the bedding inclination with respect to the end face facilitates the reduction in b value and enhances the shale’s resistance to microcrack growth during the loading process.Misalignment between the bedding orientation and the end face suppresses the growth of mixed tensile-shear microcracks,while reducing the bedding angle relative to the loading direction is beneficial for creating mixed tensile-shear and tensile cracks.The observed microscopic failure characteristics are attributed to the competing effects of bedding activation and breakage of shale matrix at different bedding inclinations.The temporal-spatial distribution of microcracks,characterized by AE statistics including the correlation dimension and spatial correlation length,illustrates that the fractal evolution of microcracks is independent of bedding anisotropy,whereas the spatial distribution shows a stronger correlation.The evolution features of correlation dimension and spatial correlation length could be potentially used as precursors for shale splitting failure.These findings may be useful for predicting rock mass instability and analyzing the causes of catastrophic rupture.

Fabrication and Mechanical Testing of Ultralight Folded Lattice-CoreSandwich Cylinders

In this research,two novel folded lattice-core sandwich cylinders were designed,manufactured,and tested.The lattice core has periodic zigzag corrugations,whose ridges and valleys are directed axially or circumferentially.Free vibration and axial compression experiments were performed to reveal the fundamental frequency,free vibration modes,bearing capacity,and failure mode of the cylinder.A folded lattice core effectively restricts local buckling by reducing the dimension of the local skin periodic cell,and improves the global buckling resistance by enhancing the shear stiffness of the sandwich core.The cylinders fail at the mode of material failure and possess excellent load-carrying capacity.An axially directed folded sandwich cylinder has greater load-carrying capacity,while a circumferentially directed folded sandwich cylinder has higher fundamental frequencies.These two types of folded lattices provide a selection for engineers when designing a sandwich cylinder requiring strength or vibration.This research also presents a feasible way to fabricate a large-dimensional folded structure and promote its engineering application.

Loading characteristics of mechanical rib bolts determined through testing and numerical modeling

Underground coal mines use mechanical bolts in addition to other types of bolts to control the rib deformation and to stabilize the yielded coal ribs.Limited research has been conducted to understand the performance of the mechanical bolts in coal ribs.Researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH)conducted this work to understand the loading characteristics of mechanical bolts(stiffness and capacity)installed in coal ribs at five underground coal mines.Standard pull-out tests were performed in this study to define the loading characteristics of mechanical rib bolts.Different installation torques were applied to the tested bolts based on the strength of the coal seam.A typical tri-linear load-deformation response for mechanical bolts was obtained from these tests.It was found that the anchorage capacity depended mainly on the coal strength.Guidelines for modeling mechanical bolts have been developed using the tri-linear load-deformation response.The outcome of this research provides essential data for rib support design.

An analytical poroelastic model for laboratorial mechanical testing of the articular cartilage (AC)

The articular cartilage （AC） can be seen as a biphasic poroelastic material. The cartilage deformation under compression mainly leads to an interstitial fluid flow in the porous solid phase. In this paper, an analytical poroelastic model for the AC under laboratorial mechanical testing is developed. The solutions of interstitial fluid pressure and velocity are obtained. The results show the following facts. （i） Both the pressure and fluid velocity amplitudes are proportional to the strain loading amplitude. （ii） Both the amplitudes of pore fluid pressure and velocity in the AC depend more on the loading amplitude than on the frequency. Thus, in order to obtain the considerable fluid stimulus for the AC cell responses, the most effective way is to increase the loading amplitude rather than the frequency. （iii） Both the interstitiM fluid pressure and velocity are strongly affected by permeability variations. This model can be used in experimental tests of the parameters of AC or other poroelastic materials, and in research of mechanotransduction and injury mechanism involved interstitial fluid flow.

A novel method for geometric quality assurance of rock joint replicas in direct shear testing-Part 2:Validation and mechanical replicability

Each rock joint is unique by nature which means that utilization of replicas in direct shear tests is required in experimental parameter studies.However,a method to acquire knowledge about the ability of the replicas to imitate the shear mechanical behavior of the rock joint and their dispersion in direct shear testing is lacking.In this study,a novel method is presented for geometric quality assurance of replicas.The aim is to facilitate generation of high-quality direct shear testing data as a prerequisite for reliable subsequent analyses of the results.In Part 1 of this study,two quality assurance parameters,smf and V_(Hp100),are derived and their usefulness for evaluation of geometric deviations,i.e.geometric reproducibility,is shown.In Part 2,the parameters are validated by showing a correlation between the parameters and the shear mechanical behavior,which qualifies the parameters for usage in the quality assurance method.Unique results from direct shear tests presenting comparisons between replicas and the rock joint show that replicas fulfilling proposed threshold values of σ_(mf)<0.06 mm and
|V_(Hp100)|
<0.2 mm have a narrow dispersion and imitate the shear mechanical behavior of the rock joint in all aspects apart from having a slightly lower peak shear strength.The wear in these replicas,which have similar morphology as the rock joint,is in the same areas as in the rock joint.The wear is slightly larger in the rock joint and therefore the discrepancy in peak shear strength derives from differences in material properties,possibly from differences in toughness.It is shown by application of the suggested method that the quality assured replicas manufactured following the process employed in this study phenomenologically capture the shear strength characteristics,which makes them useful in parameter studies.

A brief analysis on the teaching reform of mechanical engineering testing technology

Mechanical engineering testing technology is a basic course of mechanical related majors,which occupies a very important position. The author combining the actual situation of local colleges and universities taking office itself for some disadvantages in traditional teaching mode,this paper put forward should change single teaching methods in teaching,establish a practical laboratory,pay more attention to the perfect combination of theoretical knowledge and practical ability,to fully develop the students' ability of independent innovation and practical ability.

Study on mechanical properties of composite materials by in-situ tensile test

The mechanical properties of the SiC fiber-reinforced Mg-Al metal matrix composite materials have been studied on internal microstructure by (scanning electron microscopy) SEM in-situ tensile test. The emergence and propagation of the crack, and the fracture behavior in materials have been observed and studied. It is found that in the case of the tensile test, the crack emerged in SiC fiber initially. In the case of the strong cohesion of the fiber-metal interface, the crack propagated in the fiber, meanwhile the fibers in the neighborhood of the cracked fiber began to crack and the Mg-Al metal deformed plastically, and at last the material fractured. Otherwise the toughness of the materials grows in the case of the lower cohesion of the fiber-metal matrix interface.

Accuracy analysis of plane-strain bulge test for determining mechanical properties of thin films

The effect of a variety of geometrics, initial conditions and material properties on the deformation behavior of thin films in the plane-strain bulge test was systematically scrutinized by performing the finite element analysis, and then the accuracy of the plane-strain bulge test in determining the mechanical properties of thin films in terms of our finite element results was analyzed. The results indicate that although the determination of the plane-strain modulus in the light of the plane-strain bulge equation is fairly accurate, the calculation of the residual stress is not satisfied as expected, especially for low residual stress. Finally, an approach is proposed for analyzing bulge test data, which will improve the accuracy and reliability of this bulge test technique.

Intermittent disturbance mechanical behavior and fractional deterioration mechanical model of rock under complex true triaxial stress paths

Mechanical excavation,blasting,adjacent rockburst and fracture slip that occur during mining excavation impose dynamic loads on the rock mass,leading to further fracture of damaged surrounding rock in three-dimensional high-stress and even causing disasters.Therefore,a novel complex true triaxial static-dynamic combined loading method reflecting underground excavation damage and then frequent intermittent disturbance failure is proposed.True triaxial static compression and intermittent disturbance tests are carried out on monzogabbro.The effects of intermediate principal stress and amplitude on the strength characteristics,deformation characteristics,failure characteristics,and precursors of monzogabbro are analyzed,intermediate principal stress and amplitude increase monzogabbro strength and tensile fracture mechanism.Rapid increases in microseismic parameters during rock loading can be precursors for intermittent rock disturbance.Based on the experimental result,the new damage fractional elements and method with considering crack initiation stress and crack unstable stress as initiation and acceleration condition of intermittent disturbance irreversible deformation are proposed.A novel three-dimensional disturbance fractional deterioration model considering the intermediate principal stress effect and intermittent disturbance damage effect is established,and the model predicted results align well with the experimental results.The sensitivity of stress states and model parameters is further explored,and the intermittent disturbance behaviors at different f are predicted.This study provides valuable theoretical bases for the stability analysis of deep mining engineering under dynamic loads.

Mechanical properties and supporting effect of CRLD bolts under static pull test conditions

A device for supporting soft rock masses combined with a constant resistance structure characterized by constant resistance and large deformation at the end of a steel bar, known as the constant resistance and large deformation（CRLD） bolt, has recently been developed to counteract soft rock swelling that often occurs during deep mining. In order to further study the mechanical properties of the CRLD bolt, we investigated its mechanical properties by comparison with the conventional strength bolt（rebar） using static pull tests on many aspects, including supporting capacity, elongation, radial deformation, and energy absorption. The tests verified that the mechanical defects of the rebar, which include the decrease of bolt diameter, reduction of supporting capacity, and emergence and evolution of fracture until failure during the whole pull process, were caused by the Poisson＇s ratio effect. Due to the special structure set on the CRLD bolt, the bolt presents a seemingly unusual phenomenon of the negative Poisson＇s ratio effect, i.e., the diameter of the constant resistance structure increases while under-pulling. It is the very effect that ensures the extraordinary mechanical properties, including high resistance, large elongation, and strong energy absorption. According to the comparison and analysis of numerical simulation and field test, we can conclude that the CRLD bolt works better than the rebar bolt.

Determination of Elastoplastic Mechanical Properties of the Weld and Heat Affected Zone Metals in Tailor-Welded Blanks by Nanoindentation Test

The elastoplastic mechanical properties of the weld and heat affected zone metals have comparatively major impact on the forming process of tailor-welded blanks. A few scholars investigated the elastoplastic mechanical properties of the weld and heat affected zone, but they only simply assumed that it was a uniform distribution elastoplastic material different from the base materials. Four types of tailor-welded blanks which consist of ST12 and 304 stainless steel plates are selected as the research objects, the elastoplastic mechanical properties of the tailor-welded blanks weld and heat affected zone metals are obtained based on the nanoindentation tests, and the Erichsen cupping tests are conducted by combining numerical simulation with physical experiment. The nanoindentation tests results demonstrate that the elastoplastic mechanical properties of the weld and heat affected zone metals are not only different from the base materials, but also varying between the weld metals and the heat affected zone metals. Comparing the Erichsen cupping test resulted from numerical with that from experimental method, it is found that the numerical value of Erichsen cupping test which consider the elastoplastic mechanical properties of the weld and heat affected zone metals have a good agreement with the experimental result, and the relative error is only 4.8%. The proposed research provides good solutions for the inhomogeneous elastoplastic mechanical properties of the tailor-welded blanks weld and heat affected zone metals, and improves the control performance of tailor-welded blanks forming accuracy.

Variation of the mechanical properties of tungsten heavy alloys tested at different temperatures

The high-temperature mechanical properties of 95W-3.5Ni-1.5Fe and 95W-4.5Ni-0.5Co alloys were investigated in the temperature range of room temperature to1100℃. The yield strength and tensile strengths declined gradually, and the ductility of both alloys increased as the testing temperature was increased to 300℃. All the three properties reached a plateau at temperatures between 300 and 500℃ in the case of 95W-3.5Ni-l.5Fe and at temperatures between 350 and 700℃ in the case of 95W-4.5Ni-0.5Co. Thereafter, the ductility as well as yield and tensile strengths decreased considerably.

Studying the mechanical properties of the soil-root interface using the pullout test method

It is important to quantify the effect of the root diameter, the embedment length of the root and load speed on the soil-root interface mechanical properties for studying the root anchorage. The soilroot interface mechanical properties can be obtained through the pullout force and root slippage curve(F-S curve). About 120 Pinus tabulaeformis single roots whose diameters ranged from 1 mm to 10 mm divided into 6 groups based on different root embedment length(50 mm, 100 mm and 150 mm) and different load velocity(10 mm·min^(-1), 50 mm·min^(-1), 100 mm·min^(-1) and 300 mm·min^(-1)) were investigated using the pullout method. This study aims to explore the mechanical properties of the soil-root interface in the real conditions using the pullout test method. The results showed two kinds of pullout test failure modes during the experimental process: breakage failure and pullout failure. The results showed that the roots were easier to be broken when the root diameter was smaller or the loading speed was larger. The relationship between the maximum anchorage force and root diameter was linear and the linearly dependent coefficient(R^2) was larger than 0.85. The anchorage force increased with the root embedment length. An increase of 10%^(-1)5% for the maximumanchorage force was found when load speed increased from 10 to 300 mm.min^(-1). The mean peak slippage of the root was from 13.81 to 35.79 mm when the load velocity varied from 10 to 300 mm.min^(-1). The study will be helpful for the design of slopes reinforced by vegetation and in predicting risk of uprooting of trees, and will have practical benefits for understanding the mechanism of landslide.

Mechanical properties of silicon nanobeams with an undercut evaluated by combining the dynamic resonance test and finite element analysis

Mechanical properties of silicon nanobeams are of prime importance in nanoelectromechanical system applications. A numerical experimental method of determining resonant frequencies and Young＇s modulus of nanobeams by combining finite element analysis and frequency response tests based on an electrostatic excitation and visual detection by using a laser Doppler vibrometer is presented in this paper. Silicon nanobeam test structures are fabricated from silicon-oninsulator wafers by using a standard lithography and anisotropic wet etching release process, which inevitably generates the undercut of the nanobeam clamping. In conjunction with three-dimensional finite element numerical simulations incorporating the geometric undercut, dynamic resonance tests reveal that the undercut significantly reduces resonant frequencies of nanobeams due to the fact that it effectively increases the nanobeam length by a correct value △L, which is a key parameter that is correlated with deviations in the resonant frequencies predicted from the ideal Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and experimentally measured data. By using a least-square fit expression including △L, we finally extract Young＇s modulus from the measured resonance frequency versus effective length dependency and find that Young＇s modulus of a silicon nanobeam with 200-nm thickness is close to that of bulk silicon. This result supports that the finite size effect due to the surface effect does not play a role in the mechanical elastic behaviour of silicon nanobeams with thickness larger than 200 nm.

Mechanical properties and energy evolution of Beishan shallow-layer granite under different unloading paths

Rock has mechanical characteristics and a fracture damage mechanism that are closely related to its loading history and loading path. The mechanical properties, fracture damage features, acoustic emission(AE) characteristics, and strain energy evolution of the Beishan shallow-layer granite used in triaxial unloading tests were investigated in this study. Three groups of triaxial tests, namely, conventional triaxial compression test(Group Ⅰ), maintaining deviatoric stress synchronously unloading confining pressure test(Group Ⅱ), and loading axial pressure synchronously unloading confining pressure test(Group Ⅲ), were carried out for the cylindrical granite specimens. AE monitoring device was utilized in these tests to determine the degree to which the AE waves and AE events reflected the degree of rock damage. In addition, the crack stress thresholds of the specimens were determined by volumetric strain method and AE parameter method, and strain energy evolution of the rock was explored in different damage stages. The results show that the shallow-layer granite experiences brittle failure during the triaxial loading test and unloading test, and the rock has a greater damage degree during the unloading test. The crack stress thresholds of these samples vary greatly between tests, but the threshold ratios of all samples are similar in the same crack damage stage. The Mogi-Coulomb strength criterion can better describe the unloading failure strength of the rock. The evolution of the AE parameter characteristics and strain energy differs between the specimens used in different stress path tests. The dissipative strain energy is the largest in Group Ⅱ and the smallest in Group Ⅰ.

Microdynamic mechanical properties and fracture evolution mechanism of monzogabbro with a true triaxial multilevel disturbance method

The far-field microdynamic disturbance caused by the excavation of deep mineral resources and underground engineering can induce surrounding rock damage in high-stress conditions and even lead to disasters.However,the mechanical properties and damage/fracture evolution mechanisms of deep rock induced by microdynamic disturbance under three-dimensional stress states are unclear.Therefore,a true triaxial multilevel disturbance test method is proposed,which can completely simulate natural geostress,excavation stress redistribution(such as stress unloading,concentration and rotation),and subsequently the microdynamic disturbance triggering damaged rock failure.Based on a dynamic true triaxial test platform,true triaxial microdynamic disturbance tests under different frequency and amplitudes were carried out on monzogabbro.The results show that increasing amplitude or decreasing frequency diminishes the failure strength of monzogabbro.Deformation modulus gradually decreases during disturbance failure.As frequency and amplitude increase,the degradation rate of deformation modulus decreases slightly,disturbance dissipated energy increases significantly,and disturbance deformation anisotropy strengthens obviously.A damage model has been proposed to quantitatively characterize the disturbance-induced damage evolution at different frequency and amplitude under true triaxial stress.Before disturbance failure,the micro-tensile crack mechanism is dominant,and the micro-shear crack mechanism increases significantly at failure.With the increase of amplitude and frequency,the micro-shear crack mechanism increases.When approaching disturbance failure,the acoustic emission fractal dimension changes from a stable value to local large oscillation,and finally increases sharply to a high value at failure.Finally,the disturbance-induced failure mechanism of surrounding rock in deep engineering is clearly elucidated.

Geomechanical model test for analysis of surrounding rock behaviours in composite strata

Due to the large differences in physico-mechanical pro perties of composite strata,jamming,head sinking and other serious consequences occur frequently during tunnel boring machine(TBM)excavation.To analyse the stability of surrounding rocks in composite strata under the disturbance of TBM excavation,a geomechanical model test was carried out based on the Lanzhou water supply project.The evolution patterns and distribution characteristics of the strain,stress,and tunnel deformation and fracturing were analysed.The results showed that during TBM excavation in the horizontal composite formations(with upper soft and lower hard layers and with upper hard and lower soft layers),a significant difference in response to the surrounding rocks can be observed.As the strength ratio of the surrounding rocks decreases,the ratio of the maximum strain of the hard rock mass to that of the relatively soft rock mass gradually decreases.The radial stress of the relatively soft rock mass is smaller than that of the hard rock mass in both types of composite strata,indicating that the weak rock mass in the composite formation results in the difference in the mechanical behaviours of the surrounding rocks.The displacement field of the surrounding rocks obtained by the digital speckle correlation method(DSCM)and the macro-fracture morphology after tunnel excavation visually reflected the deformation difference of the composite rock mass.Finally,some suggestions and measures were provided for TBM excavation in composite strata,such as advance geological forecasting and effective monitoring of weak rock masses.

Mechanical Properties of Deep-buried Marble Material Under Loading and Unloading Tests

The mechanical properties are essentially different when rock material is subjected to loading or unloading conditions. In this study, loading and unloading tests with various confining pressures are conducted to investigate the mechanical properties of marble material samples taken from the deep diversion tunnels of Jinping II Hydropower Station. The stress-strain relationship, failure characteristics and strength criterion are compared and analyzed based on the experiment results. The results show： in the loading and unloading test, peak strength, lateral strain, axial strain and plastic deformation increase significantly as the confining pressure increases. Lateral strain increased significantly and obvious lateral dilatancy can be observed to the change of confining pressure; The fracture mode is mainly the single shear fracture for the triaxial compression test and post-peak test, angle between the failure surface and the ends of the rock material becomes smaller as the confining pressure increases. Hock-Brown strength criterion reflects the strength characteristics of marble material under two different unloading conditions, and has some supplementary effects to the rock material of mechanical field.