Nanoscale insight into tribomechanical and hydrothermal process at calcite surface
type: CreativeWork
description: Fault slip and earthquake nucleation are controlled by interfacial processes that operate at the nanoscale, where chemical, mechanical, and thermal effects converge to regulate frictional behavior. Among the minerals that compose the lithosphere, calcite is particularly significant due to its abundance, ductility, and reactivity in aqueous environment. The induced dissolution and precipitation, commonly described as pressure solution and cementation, actively reconstruct calcite surfaces and are hypothesized to play a decisive role in modulating frictional response in carbonate-rich faults. Yet, the mechanisms linking nanoscale interfacial processes with macroscopic fault slip remain poorly understood. Our goal is to investigate the tribomechanical behavior of calcite and provide fundamental understanding to connect nanoscale interfacial dynamics with macroscopic fault mechanics. To achieve this objective, the following specific goals were accomplished: I. Characterize ion-specific effects on pressure solution–facilitated slip II. Determine the effect of roughness on the friction and pressure solution III. Explore the tribomechanical process under hydrothermal conditions IV. Quantify and model the mechanochemical and tribomechanical process of calcite within the framework of rate and state friction (RSF) model To address these aims, surface force measurements-including friction force, hydration force, and Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) forces-were performed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in various conditions. Load-dependent friction measurements in Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ni²⁺ solutions, paired with in situ calcite thickness analysis by Surface Force Apparatus (SFA), revealed that confined fluid chemistry and ion–surface interactions regulate the onset and magnitude of pressure solution, thereby affecting frictional strength. Velocity-dependent friction studies on polished calcite surfaces of varying grain size demonstrated that nanoscale roughness promotes asei…
abstract: Fault slip and earthquake nucleation are controlled by interfacial processes that operate at the nanoscale, where chemical, mechanical, and thermal effects converge to regulate frictional behavior. Among the minerals that compose the lithosphere, calcite is particularly significant due to its abundance, ductility, and reactivity in aqueous environment. The induced dissolution and precipitation, commonly described as pressure solution and cementation, actively reconstruct calcite surfaces and are hypothesized to play a decisive role in modulating frictional response in carbonate-rich faults. Yet, the mechanisms linking nanoscale interfacial processes with macroscopic fault slip remain poorly understood. Our goal is to investigate the tribomechanical behavior of calcite and provide fundamental understanding to connect nanoscale interfacial dynamics with macroscopic fault mechanics. To achieve this objective, the following specific goals were accomplished: I. Characterize ion-specific effects on pressure solution–facilitated slip II. Determine the effect of roughness on the friction and pressure solution III. Explore the tribomechanical process under hydrothermal conditions IV. Quantify and model the mechanochemical and tribomechanical process of calcite within the framework of rate and state friction (RSF) model To address these aims, surface force measurements-including friction force, hydration force, and Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) forces-were performed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in various conditions. Load-dependent friction measurements in Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ni²⁺ solutions, paired with in situ calcite thickness analysis by Surface Force Apparatus (SFA), revealed that confined fluid chemistry and ion–surface interactions regulate the onset and magnitude of pressure solution, thereby affecting frictional strength. Velocity-dependent friction studies on polished calcite surfaces of varying grain size demonstrated that nanoscale roughness promotes asei…
author: Fu, Binxin
language: en
keywords: Tribology, Atomic Force Microscopy, Calcite, Pressure solution, Hydrothermal
date published: 2025-12
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:25:07Z
provider: University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/2142/132663