Deformation and water-assisted diffusive mass transfer in rock salt

Chris Spiers

Deformation and water-assisted diffusive mass transfer in rock salt

Chris Spiers

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Rock salt exhibits fully ductile crystal plastic flow as well as brittle-ductile damage and water-assisted diffusive mass transfer (dissolution-precipitation transfer) at shallow crustal and even surface conditions. These processes lead to a wide range of coupled phenomena that influence compaction creep of salt backfill, deviatoric creep of intact rock salt, microcrack damage and healing, and the evolution of microstructure, porosity and permeability. While the purely
mechanical behaviour of salt is relatively well understood, the effects of water-assisted mass transfer, occurring in the presence of brine or adsorbed moisture, have received less attention.
This paper reviews the thermodynamic driving forces governing fluid-rock interactions in stressed rock salt and salt backfill, and the resulting effects on deformation and microstructural change.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	The Mechanical Behavior of Salt XI
Subtitle of host publication	Proceedings
Editors	Steven Sobolik, Mathew Ingraham, Edward Matteo, Melissa Mills, Tonya Ross, Donald Conley, John Stormont
Publisher	CRC Press
Pages	426-437
ISBN (Print)	978-1-032-28220-6
Publication status	Published - Jul 2025
Event	11th Conference on the Mechanical Behavior of Salt - Drury Plaza Hotel, Sante Fe, United States Duration: 8 Jul 2025 → 10 Jul 2025

Conference

Conference	11th Conference on the Mechanical Behavior of Salt
Abbreviated title	SaltMech XI
Country/Territory	United States
City	Sante Fe
Period	8/07/25 → 10/07/25

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Spiers-2025-The Mechanical Behavior of Salt XI_25_07_17_15_12_44Final published version, 622 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

@inproceedings{fd9441f23272482588a08adf0a5f8672,

title = "Deformation and water-assisted diffusive mass transfer in rock salt",

abstract = "Rock salt exhibits fully ductile crystal plastic flow as well as brittle-ductile damage and water-assisted diffusive mass transfer (dissolution-precipitation transfer) at shallow crustal and even surface conditions. These processes lead to a wide range of coupled phenomena that influence compaction creep of salt backfill, deviatoric creep of intact rock salt, microcrack damage and healing, and the evolution of microstructure, porosity and permeability. While the purely mechanical behaviour of salt is relatively well understood, the effects of water-assisted mass transfer, occurring in the presence of brine or adsorbed moisture, have received less attention. This paper reviews the thermodynamic driving forces governing fluid-rock interactions in stressed rock salt and salt backfill, and the resulting effects on deformation and microstructural change.",

author = "Chris Spiers",

year = "2025",

month = jul,

language = "English",

isbn = "978-1-032-28220-6",

pages = "426--437",

editor = "Steven Sobolik and Mathew Ingraham and Edward Matteo and Melissa Mills and Tonya Ross and Donald Conley and John Stormont",

booktitle = "The Mechanical Behavior of Salt XI",

publisher = "CRC Press",

note = "11th Conference on the Mechanical Behavior of Salt, SaltMech XI ; Conference date: 08-07-2025 Through 10-07-2025",

}

Deformation and water-assisted diffusive mass transfer in rock salt. / Spiers, Chris.
The Mechanical Behavior of Salt XI: Proceedings. ed. / Steven Sobolik; Mathew Ingraham; Edward Matteo; Melissa Mills; Tonya Ross; Donald Conley; John Stormont. CRC Press, 2025. p. 426-437.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Deformation and water-assisted diffusive mass transfer in rock salt

AU - Spiers, Chris

PY - 2025/7

Y1 - 2025/7

N2 - Rock salt exhibits fully ductile crystal plastic flow as well as brittle-ductile damage and water-assisted diffusive mass transfer (dissolution-precipitation transfer) at shallow crustal and even surface conditions. These processes lead to a wide range of coupled phenomena that influence compaction creep of salt backfill, deviatoric creep of intact rock salt, microcrack damage and healing, and the evolution of microstructure, porosity and permeability. While the purely mechanical behaviour of salt is relatively well understood, the effects of water-assisted mass transfer, occurring in the presence of brine or adsorbed moisture, have received less attention. This paper reviews the thermodynamic driving forces governing fluid-rock interactions in stressed rock salt and salt backfill, and the resulting effects on deformation and microstructural change.

AB - Rock salt exhibits fully ductile crystal plastic flow as well as brittle-ductile damage and water-assisted diffusive mass transfer (dissolution-precipitation transfer) at shallow crustal and even surface conditions. These processes lead to a wide range of coupled phenomena that influence compaction creep of salt backfill, deviatoric creep of intact rock salt, microcrack damage and healing, and the evolution of microstructure, porosity and permeability. While the purely mechanical behaviour of salt is relatively well understood, the effects of water-assisted mass transfer, occurring in the presence of brine or adsorbed moisture, have received less attention. This paper reviews the thermodynamic driving forces governing fluid-rock interactions in stressed rock salt and salt backfill, and the resulting effects on deformation and microstructural change.

M3 - Conference contribution

SN - 978-1-032-28220-6

SP - 426

EP - 437

BT - The Mechanical Behavior of Salt XI

A2 - Sobolik, Steven

A2 - Ingraham, Mathew

A2 - Matteo, Edward

A2 - Mills, Melissa

A2 - Ross, Tonya

A2 - Conley, Donald

A2 - Stormont, John

PB - CRC Press

T2 - 11th Conference on the Mechanical Behavior of Salt

Y2 - 8 July 2025 through 10 July 2025

ER -

Deformation and water-assisted diffusive mass transfer in rock salt

Abstract

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