Development of triaxial compressive apparatus for neutron experiments with rocks

Underground engineering for processes such as geological disposal of high-level nuclear waste, CO₂ capture and storage, and mining and drilling for resources requires an understanding of the mechanical behavior of rocks at subsurface stress states, i.e., triaxial compressive stress. Strain measurement using neutron diffraction can be applied to rocks to analyze strain accumulation mechanisms at the microscopic scale. This study reports the development of triaxial compressive apparatus for strain measurement using neutron diffraction. The apparatus can analyze rock specimens (diameter, 25 mm; length, 50 mm) and apply a maximum confining pressure of 50 MPa. Materials for the components of the apparatus were investigated theoretically based on neutron beam transmission and experimentally using neutron diffraction experiments. The feasibility of the apparatus was verified by measuring strain at hydrostatic pressure under the application of confining pressure and triaxial compression. The theoretical and experimental results show that the apparatus could obtain sufficient neutron statistics from a rock specimen. It was confirmed experimentally that the measured strain values are correlated with the applied confining pressure and stress. The lattice strains of quartz minerals measured by neutron diffraction showed linear deformation behavior, indicating that elastic strain accumulated in the minerals. This apparatus will enable the finding of new insights into the deformation mechanisms of rocks.