Viscoelastic behavior of clay mineral system with liquid phase at high
pressure and high temperature
Abstract
We conducted dynamic viscoelastic measurements of three clay minerals in
a solid–liquid two-phase state: kaolinite, illite, and smectite with
water. These constituents of concentrated (dense) suspensions were
investigated using a high-temperature and high-pressure rheometer, to
understand tectonic and non-tectonic phenomena in the shallow part of a
fault system, such as shallow slow slip events in subduction zones, and
landslides on fault or bed planes. We observed shear strain rate
dependencies of phase angles of both dynamic stress and strain waveforms
on the rheometer at varying temperature and pressure. The pressure and
temperature dependence of the viscoelastic properties of the system can
be qualitatively understood by applying the Zwanzig–Mountain theory.
The local packing fraction change owing to dynamic oscillations affects
the changing viscoelastic properties in systems such as shallow fault
systems.