Simulation of shale's deformation and failure characteristics under Triaxial compression considering mineral components

Simulation of shale's deformation and failure characteristics under Triaxial compression considering mineral components | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Simulation of shale's deformation and failure characteristics under Triaxial compression considering mineral components Bao Li, Yongjian Zhu, Yuexiang Hao, Yafei Luo, Sisi Tang, Xin'ao Zhang This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7469256/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract To advance the design and optimization of hydraulic fracturing technology in the efficient development of shale gas, it is crucial to reveal the mechanism by which mineral composition influences the mechanical properties of shale. On the one hand, the control mechanism of mineral composition heterogeneity on shale's mechanical behavior is not clear; on the other hand, traditional experimental methods have significant limitations in characterizing the coupled mechanical effects of multi-mineral interactions. In this study, a numerical model is constructed using the combined finite-discrete element method, which considers the heterogeneity of mineral composition. Through systematic triaxial compression numerical simulations, the mechanisms by which mineral composition affects shale's strength characteristics, failure modes, and crack propagation patterns are revealed. The results show that as the mineral particle size increases, the energy transfer efficiency of the stress transmission process improves, promoting crack propagation along a single main shear fracture. In contrast, smaller particle sizes, due to enhanced interface effects, induce differential crack propagation paths, ultimately forming a conjugate X-shaped shear fracture. The heterogeneity of different mineral phases affects the stress transmission path in shale, the location where the primary fracture initiates, and the direction of fracture propagation. The critical failure displacement influences the crack propagation speed and the degree of fracture development during triaxial compression tests. The larger the critical failure displacement, the more concentrated the stress concentration in the shale sample, resulting in faster crack propagation. The interface's resistance to deformation controls the stress transmission process at the interface. The higher the interface's resistance to deformation, the more secondary crack branches form, resulting in a more complex fracture network and the sample exhibiting a more brittle behavior. This study primarily reveals the impact of mineral composition distribution on the strength characteristics, failure modes, and fracture propagation patterns of Weiyuan shale, providing theoretical support for the development of a fracture parameter optimization model based on mineral composition characteristics. Shale Mineral composition Finite discrete element method Deformation and failure characteristics Crack propagation Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 16 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 27 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 25 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 11 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 04 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 04 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 04 Sep, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 04 Sep, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 30 Aug, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 30 Aug, 2025 First submitted to journal 27 Aug, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7469256","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":510485774,"identity":"807b9c83-7008-44d2-a5f6-600c5a27b1ef","order_by":0,"name":"Bao Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Hunan University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Bao","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":510485775,"identity":"b0fe0cf0-68a8-4cea-8ce0-81edef417d9c","order_by":1,"name":"Yongjian 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