Nano-indentation system for studying the influence of rock micro-scale properties and material heterogeneity on brittle failure processes in rock

该提案要求资金将用于购买微压痕和微划痕组合测试系统，这对申请人研究计划的成功开发至关重要，其卓越表现在去年的竞赛中获得了DAS奖。申请人提出的研究旨在对岩土材料的微观力学和微观几何特性对观察到的破坏过程的影响进行创新的理解。本研究将利用网格微压痕技术和微划痕测试技术在微观尺度上表征几何材料，分别提供组成岩石相和相界面的弹性性能和断裂韧性。使用所要求的系统产生的数据，再加上标准岩石力学实验室测试和非破坏性测量（x射线微ct扫描），将被作为申请人开发的数值和数学模型的输入。预计所得的微力学约束模型将用于评价加拿大碳封存过程的安全性和长期可行性，用于开发采矿中更安全的地质力学设计，以及用于评估深层地下核废料储存库的潜在地点的安全性。

This proposal requests funds that will be used to purchase a combined microindentation and microscratch testing system that is critical to the successful development of the applicant's research program, whose excellence was recognized in the last year competition with a DAS award. The applicant's proposed research aims to develop innovative understanding of the influence of micro-mechanical and micro-geometrical properties of geomaterials on observed failure processes. This research will characterize geometarials at the micro-scale using grid microindentation technique and microscratch test technique, which provide elastic properties and fracture toughness of constituent rock phases and phase interfaces, respectively. The data produced using the requested system, complemented with standard rock mechanics laboratory tests and non destructive measurements (x-ray microCT scans), will be adopted as input for the numerical and mathematical models developed by the applicant. It is anticipated that the resulting micromechanically constrained models will be then used to evaluate the safety and long-term viability for carbon sequestration processes in Canada, for developing safer geomechanical designs in mining, and for assessing the safety of potential sites for deep underground nuclear waste repositories.