Texture Development and Stress–Strain Partitioning in Periclase + Halite Aggregates

Abstract

Multiphase materials are widely applied in engineering due to desirable mechanical properties and are of interest to geoscience as rocks are multiphase. High-pressure mechanical behavior is important for understanding the deep Earth where rocks deform at extreme pressure and temperature. In order to systematically study the underlying physics of multiphase deformation at high pressure, we perform diamond anvil cell deformation experiments on MgO + NaCl aggregates with varying phase proportions. Lattice strain and texture evolution are recorded using in-situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction and are modeled using two-phase elasto-viscoplastic self-consistent (EVPSC) simulations to deduce stress, strain, and deformation mechanisms in individual phases and the aggregate. Texture development of MgO and NaCl are affected by phase proportions. In NaCl, a (100) compression texture is observed when small amounts of MgO are present. In contrast, when deformed as a single phase or when large amounts of MgO are present, NaCl develops a (110) texture. Stress and strain evolution in MgO and NaCl also show different trends with varying phase proportions. Based on the results from this study, we construct a general scheme of stress evolution as a function of phase proportion for individual phases and the aggregate.

Keywords

• multiphase deformation
• high pressure
• texture
• plasticity modeling