Engineering

Exploring explosives for expanding geothermal energy

Why are scientists setting off small-scale explosions inside 1-foot cubes of plexiglass? They're watching how fractures form and grow in a rocklike substance to see if explosives or propellants, similar to jet fuel, can connect ...

Engineering

Pinpointing the sound of rock failure

If a rock deep in the subsurface cracks and fails under pressure and temperature change, can the sound it makes be heard and identified? Finding the specific sound a rock makes when it cracks and breaks seems impossible when ...

Engineering

New computer program predicts crack initiation in 3-D

Most structures and materials have defects, and if the conditions are right, these defects can lead to the initiation and propagation of cracks. Finding out where and with what orientation a surface crack is most likely to ...

Engineering

Developing next-gen, smart engine fan blades

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) is transforming the way companies in many industries are manufacturing their products, and the aerospace industry is no exception. For example, aircraft manufacturers are improving ...

Energy & Green Tech

New approach may help extract more heat from geothermal reservoirs

Geothermal heat offers a promising source of renewable energy with almost zero emissions, but it remains a relatively expensive option to generate electricity. A new technique proposed by Penn State scientists may help prevent ...

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Fracture

A fracture is the (local) separation of an object or material into two, or more, pieces under the action of stress.

The word fracture is often applied to bones of living creatures (that is, a bone fracture), or to crystals or crystalline materials, such as gemstones or metal. Sometimes, in crystalline materials, individual crystals fracture without the body actually separating into two or more pieces. Depending on the substance which is fractured, a fracture reduces strength (most substances) or inhibits transmission of light (optical crystals).

A detailed understanding of how fracture occurs in materials may be assisted by the study of fracture mechanics.

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA