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Materials scientists have discovered a new way to predict degradation and degradation of materials by studying muscovite mica and applying the statistical dynamics of earthquakes and snow avalanches.
Materials scientists have discovered a new way to predict degradation and degradation of materials by studying muscovite mica and applying the statistical dynamics of earthquakes and snow avalanches. This research has implications for improving solar panels, geological carbon sequestration, and construction.
Materials scientists now use earthquake and avalanche statistics, as well as data on common minerals, to measure how harsh environmental conditions affect the degradation and destruction of materials. This approach could extend the life of today’s solar panels, carbon capture systems, and infrastructure (buildings, roads, and bridges).
New research conducted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratory and Bucknell University, showed that the amount of stress applied to the surface of muscovite mica depends on the physical state of the mineral surface and follows similar statistical patterns. What was observed during earthquakes and avalanches.
The study was published today (November 6) in the journal. Nature Communication.
When scientists choose materials for engineering applications, they want to know how the surface of that material will interact with the environment in which it will be used. Similarly, geologists want to understand how chemical reactions between minerals and groundwater along faults can gradually weaken rocks, leading to rapid bursts of mechanical damage through a process called chemomechanical weakening.
“Previous attempts to measure the impact of chemomechanical weakening in engineering materials relied on complex molecular dynamics models that required significant computational resources, but our work instead highlights the connection between laboratory experiments and real-world events such as earthquakes,” said graduate student Jordan Sickle. Dr. conducted the research with Illinois physics professor Karin Damen.
“Muscovite was chosen for this study mainly due to the extraordinary planarity of this material,” said Damen. “Each of the flake layers is flat down to the atomic level. Because of this planarity, the interaction between the surface of this material and its environment is particularly important.”
To measure the chemomechanical weakening of muscovite surfaces, Sandia National Laboratory exposed samples to a variety of chemical conditions: dry, immersed in deionized water, and brine solutions of pH 9.8 and 12. During exposure, a tool known as a nanoindenter was pressed against the surface of the mineral. The surface and recorded movement or destruction of the material under controlled mechanical loads.
The researchers found that in dry conditions, muscovite can deform more before failing than in wet conditions. In case of failure, samples in each state release their stored elastic energy. The study reports that when muscovite is exposed to a basic solution with a pH of 9.8 or 12, the top layer weakens and less energy can be stored before failure, which is reflected in the explosion statistics.
“The results of this study allow researchers to examine property damage more quickly from powerful, detailed simulation models,” Sickle said. “By showing that we can observe the same results using currently available statistical models for earthquakes, researchers will be able to perform more efficient analyzes on the material than was previously possible.”
Source: Port Altele
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