ABSTRACT
Several energy recovery processes such as Underground Coal Gasification (UCG), Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) and Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), and processes involving the disposal of nuclear waste in Deep Geological Repositories (DGR) involve the interaction of host rocks with temperature. However, a large variance can be observed in the pattern and nature of thermal interaction within these processes. Since the success and efficiency of the process rely largely on the state of the nearby strata, it is imperative to understand the behaviour of the geotechnical properties under high temperature conditions. Although, lot of research discuss the effect of temperature on the geotechnical properties, studies on effect of duration of thermal treatment are relatively fewer in number. Therefore, in this study, the effect of duration of thermal treatment on the Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS) of the rock has been analysed. Samples of fine-grained Dholpur sandstone were treated and tested up to 500°C. The effect of duration of thermal treatment was studied by varying the exposure time from 5 to 30 days. Additionally, the effect of thermal condition of the sample at the time of mechanical tests, namely, hot or cool, was also analysed. The results suggest that a distinct relation exists between the UCS and duration of thermal treatment. The study can be help add upon the existing pool of knowledge on the effect of heat on geomaterials.
