The Dynamic Fracture Process in Rocks Under High-Voltage Pulse Fragmentation

High-voltage pulse technology has been applied to rock excavation, liberation of microfossils, drilling of rocks, oil and water stimulation, cleaning castings, and recycling products like concrete and electrical appliances. In the field of rock mechanics, research interest has focused on the use of high-voltage pulse technology for drilling and cutting rocks over the past several decades. In the use of high-voltage pulse technology for drilling and cutting rocks, it is important to understand the fragmentation mechanism in rocks subjected to high-voltage discharge pulses to improve the effectiveness of drilling and cutting technologies. The process of drilling rocks using high-voltage discharge is employed because it generates electrical breakdown inside the rocks between the anode and cathode. In this study, seven rock types and a cement paste were electrically fractured using high-voltage pulse discharge to investigate their dielectric breakdown properties. The dielectric breakdown strengths of the samples were compared with their physical and mechanical properties. The samples with dielectric fractured were scanned using a high-resolution X-ray computed tomography system to observe the fracture formation associated with mineral constituents. The fracture patterns of the rock samples were analyzed using numerical simulation for high-voltage pulse-induced fragmentation that adopts the surface traction and internal body force conditions.