Ultrasonic Vibration Effects on Rock Fragmentation

Ultrasonic vibration refers to oscillatory stresses typically above 20 kHz that, when applied to rock, concentrate energy at inherent defects and grain boundaries. These high-frequency waves induce microcrack initiation and growth, producing tensile, transgranular and grain‐boundary fractures that coalesce into larger cracks. As the vibration continues, the rock undergoes sequential stages of elastic deformation, microcrack development and macroscopic failure, leading to reduced compressive strength and elastic modulus. Coupling ultrasonic excitation with static loading or conventional drilling enhances penetration rates, lowers mechanical energy requirements and diminishes tool wear. Such methods have global significance for mining, tunnelling and oil and gas operations by improving efficiency, reducing vibration-induced damage and enabling precise fragmentation in sensitive environments. Current research integrates laboratory experiments with numerical models to elucidate the roles of amplitude, frequency, loading conditions and material heterogeneities in governing crack kinetics, pore evolution and energy dissipation.

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Ultrasonic Vibration Effects on Rock Fragmentation publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in ultrasonic vibration effects on rock fragmentation across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Ultrasonic vibration: High‐frequency mechanical oscillations above 20 kHz that generate stress waves in rock.

Microcrack: A minute fissure within mineral grains or along grain boundaries initiating fracture.

Resonant frequency: The natural vibration frequency of a material at which energy absorption and deformation are maximised.

References

1. Microcrack Growth Properties of Granite under Ultrasonic High‐Frequency Excitation. Advances in Civil Engineering (2019).
2. Experimental and numerical investigation of the fatigue behaviour and crack evolution mechanism of granite under ultra-high-frequency loading. Royal Society Open Science (2020).
3. The Mechanical Properties of Granite under Ultrasonic Vibration. Advances in Civil Engineering (2019).
4. Feasibility Study and Prospects of Rock Fragmentation Using Ultrasonic Vibration Excitation. Applied Sciences (2020).
5. Research on the Resonance Characteristics of Rock under Harmonic Excitation. Shock and Vibration (2019).
6. Discrete element simulation for investigating fragmentation mechanism of hard rock under ultrasonic vibration loading. Energy Science & Engineering (2020).
7. Experimental Study on Failure Law and Mechanism of Red Sandstone under Ultrasonic Vibration Excitation. Geofluids (2022).
8. Ultrasonic-Assisted Rock-Breaking Technology and Oil and Gas Drilling Applications: A Review. Energies (2022).
9. Damage Evolution of Granite under Ultrasonic Vibration with Different Amplitudes. Shock and Vibration (2022).
10. Experimental and Simulation Study on Breaking Rock under Coupled Static Loading and Ultrasonic Vibration. Shock and Vibration (2022).
11. Research on Fracture Characteristics and Energy Dissipation of Hard Rock under the Excitation of Ultrasonic Vibration. Geofluids (2022).