Influence of time, temperature, confining pressure and fluid content on the experimental compaction of spherical grains

TL;DR

This study investigates how time, temperature, pressure, and fluid content affect the compaction of spherical grains through experimental tests, aiming to evaluate theoretical models like intergranular pressure-solution.

Contribution

It provides experimental data on grain deformation under various conditions to assess the applicability of compaction models such as IPS.

Findings

Deformation varies with fluid content and temperature.

Experimental results support or challenge existing compaction models.

Quantitative data on particle deformation at high pressure and temperature.

Abstract

Theoretical models of compaction processes, such as for example intergranular pressure-solution (IPS), focus on deformation occurring at the contacts between spherical grains that constitute an aggregate. In order to investigate the applicability of such models, and to quantify the deformation of particles within an aggregate, isostatic experiments were performed in cold-sealed vessels on glass sphere aggregates at 200 MPa confining pressure and 350 degrees C with varying amounts of fluid.