Fracture energy of selected brittle silicates

Abstract

In this research, the specific fracture energy of almandine, zircon and periclase (MgO) are presented. The materials measured were in powder form during the measurement. A method of crushing the materials using a hydraulic press was used, followed by statistical analysis of the change in the surface of the powder. Values were taken from particle size measurements performed by a laser analyzer for the specific surface area calculation. Additionally, the surface energy was calculated for periclase based on these measured values in order to evaluate whether the measurement was valid in comparison to the measured values specified by other authors. The dependency of specific fracture energy on crushing speed and environment in which the powder was crushed (air or water) was also analyzed.