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

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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.