Fracture-based model of periodic-arrayed indentation for rock cutting

•A periodic-arrayed indentation model for rock cutting is proposed.•The contribution of the singular stress fields to rock cutting is investigated.•Fracture-based rock cutting criterion have been formulized.

Periodic singular stress fields and K-dominant regions arise adjacent to sharp 90° indenter edges if an elastic substrate is subject to indentation with rigid, flat-ended and periodic indenters. The concept of indentation stress intensity factor Kind is convenient to describe such a singular indentation stress field, which is mathematically similar to that of a Mode-I crack. The singular indentation stress field is sufficient to induce surface cracking even if the substrate surface is free of any micro-cracks. This surface cracking mechanism generated from the flat-ended indentation potentially can play a significant role in damage analysis of rock cutting. During the rock-cutting processing, those periodic singular-stress fields will move along the rock surface, leading to continuous rock surface fracture. In this study, a fracture mechanics model is proposed for rock breakage by using an energy-based approach. The indentation stress intensity factor Kind and indentation cracking equation for rock-cutting/breakage have thus been formulated analytically.