Effect of artificially induced microcracks near the rock surface on granite fragmentation performance under heating treatment

Various novel assisted drilling technologies enhance rock fragmentation performance by introducing microcracks on the rock surface to weaken rock strength. However, the quantitative relationship between artificially induced microcracks and rock fragmentation characteristics is not clear. In this study, we induced artificial microcracks of varying degrees on the rock surface through one-dimensional heat conduction. With the aid of the fluorescent resin, we visualized the microcrack patterns and quantitatively assessed the artificially induced microcracks. Subsequently, we performed quasi-static indentation tests on granite samples containing microcracks to establish the quantitative relationship between microcracks and rock fragmentation performance. The results indicate that the release of crystal water within the temperature range of 200 °C–300 °C is the primary factor leading to a significant increase in microcracks. Load drop signals correlate with the propagation of microcracks, including the competitive interactions between mechanically induced microcracks and artificially induced microcracks. Artificially induced microcracks require a certain initial length to continue propagating under mechanical stress, and excessively short microcracks are detrimental to subsequent propagation. A higher density of microcracks implies a more complex microcrack network, facilitating the merging of cracks to form rock chips under smaller mechanical loads. The consistency between the length density and number density of microcracks in influencing the crater parameters reflects their equal importance in affecting rock fragmentation performance. These findings could help determine the extent of rock weakening by artificially induced microcracks and reveal the mechanisms of rock fracture behavior influenced by microcrack, holding significant implications for the optimization of the process parameters of various assisted rock drilling techniques.