Structural analysis of the fracture surface of a heterogeneous body (quartz sandstone)

Abstract

The structure of surface layers of quartz sandstone with a thickness of ~1 μm before and after destruction by a compressive stress is studied by methods of infrared, photoluminescent, and Raman spectroscopy. Before destruction, this layer contained quartz grains cemented with montmorrillonite and kaolinite. The grains are covered with a thin water layer and have crystallographic defects: Si–O^–, self-trapped excitons, AlOH and LiOH compounds, [AlO₄]^– centers, etc. The destructed surface contains separate quartz grains with sizes of ~2 μm and a reduced defect concentration. It is assumed that the defects reduce the strength of quartz grains, which are destroyed in the first turn.