Effects of Test Temperature and Low Temperature Thermal Cycling on the Dynamic Tensile Strength of Granitic Rocks

This paper presents an experimental procedure for the characterization of the granitic rocks on a Mars-like environment. To gain a better understanding of the drilling conditions on Mars, the dynamic tensile behavior of the two granitic rocks was studied using the Brazilian disc test and a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar. The room temperature tests were performed on the specimens, which had gone through thermal cycling between room temperature and − 70 °C for 0, 10, 15, and 20 cycles. In addition, the high strain rate Brazilian disc tests were carried out on the samples without the thermal cyclic loading at test temperatures of − 30 °C, − 50 °C, and − 70 °C. Microscopy results show that the rocks with different microstructures respond differently to cyclic thermal loading. However, decreasing the test temperature leads to an increasing in the tensile strength of both studied rocks, and the softening of the rocks is observed for both rocks as the temperature reaches − 70 °C. This paper presents a quantitative assessment of the effects of the thermal cyclic loading and temperature on the mechanical behavior of studied rocks in the Mars-like environment. The results of this work will bring new insight into the mechanical response of rock material in extreme environments.