Iron Powder-Quartz Sand Mixture Friction Data from Ring Shear Tests

Friction data from ring-shear tests on an iron powder and quartz sand mixture with a 1:3 weight ratio. The material was characterized by the Helmholtz Laboratory for Tectonic Modelling at GFZ Potsdam in 2017, providing peak, dynamic, and reactivation friction coefficients and cohesion values. This dataset supports analog modelling experiments monitored with CT scanners at Utrecht University.

Use Cases

• Calibrating Mohr-Coulomb material parameters for analog tectonic models based on provided friction coefficients and cohesions.
• Analyzing rate-dependent friction behavior based on the described minor rate-weakening effect.
• Validating numerical models of granular material failure using the linear failure envelope characterization.

Strengths

• Provides specific material property values: peak friction coefficient (µP = 0.65), dynamic friction coefficient (µD = 0.53), and reactivation friction coefficient (µR = 0.62).
• Quantifies cohesion range (70 to 100 Pa) and rate-weakening effect (~3% per ten-fold shear velocity change).
• Data originates from a recognized research institution (Utrecht University) and a specialized laboratory (HelTec at GFZ).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Utrecht University, Tectonic Laboratory (TecLab); Data characterization by Helmholtz Laboratory for Tectonic Modelling (HelTec) at GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences.

Collection Method

Ring-shear tests (RST) performed on a prepared iron powder-quartz sand mixture.

Time Range

Data characterized in 2017 (EPOS TNA call).

Geography

Material characterization performed in Potsdam, Germany; associated with research at Utrecht University, The Netherlands.