Comparative Flexural Response of Mineralized Massive Sulfides and Meta-Rhyolitic Rocks
An experimental study was conducted to investigate the flexural mechanical properties of mineralized (massive sulfides) and non-mineralized (meta-rhyolitic tuff) rock samples using a three-point bending test. Mineralogical analysis was conducted on samples from both rock categories, followed by the...
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2025-07-01
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| author | Haitham M. Ahmed Essam B. Moustafa |
| author_facet | Haitham M. Ahmed Essam B. Moustafa |
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| description | An experimental study was conducted to investigate the flexural mechanical properties of mineralized (massive sulfides) and non-mineralized (meta-rhyolitic tuff) rock samples using a three-point bending test. Mineralogical analysis was conducted on samples from both rock categories, followed by the determination of physical properties (P-wave velocity and density). In the massive sulfide zones, there are three distinctive zones of mineralization, each exhibiting varying degrees of pyritization: the intense pyritization zone (formerly Zone A) exhibited extensive pyrite replacement of sphalerite and chalcopyrite, the transitional zone (Zone B) displays intergrowths of pyrite and sphalerite, and the coarse sulfide zone (Zone C) features coarser, less altered sulfides—polyphase hydrothermal alteration, including sericitization, silicification, and amphibole veining. Mineralized rocks showed a 35.18% increase in density (3.65 ± 0.17 kg/m<sup>3</sup> vs. 2.72 ± 0.014 kg/m<sup>3</sup>) attributed to dense sulfide content. The flexural strength more than doubled (99.02 ± 4.42 GPa vs. 43.17 ± 6.45 GPa), experiencing a 129% increase, due to homogeneous chalcopyrite distribution and fine-grained sulfide networks. Despite strength differences, deflection rates showed a non-significant 4% variation (0.373 ± 0.083 mm for mineralized vs. 0.389 ± 0.074 mm for metamorphic rocks), indicating comparable ductility. |
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| spelling | doaj-art-54d88a7c2b0647f9b73c2e31ce1e00fa2025-08-20T03:08:01ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632025-07-0115726310.3390/geosciences15070263Comparative Flexural Response of Mineralized Massive Sulfides and Meta-Rhyolitic RocksHaitham M. Ahmed0Essam B. Moustafa1Mining Engineering Department, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi ArabiaMechanical Engineering Department, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi ArabiaAn experimental study was conducted to investigate the flexural mechanical properties of mineralized (massive sulfides) and non-mineralized (meta-rhyolitic tuff) rock samples using a three-point bending test. Mineralogical analysis was conducted on samples from both rock categories, followed by the determination of physical properties (P-wave velocity and density). In the massive sulfide zones, there are three distinctive zones of mineralization, each exhibiting varying degrees of pyritization: the intense pyritization zone (formerly Zone A) exhibited extensive pyrite replacement of sphalerite and chalcopyrite, the transitional zone (Zone B) displays intergrowths of pyrite and sphalerite, and the coarse sulfide zone (Zone C) features coarser, less altered sulfides—polyphase hydrothermal alteration, including sericitization, silicification, and amphibole veining. Mineralized rocks showed a 35.18% increase in density (3.65 ± 0.17 kg/m<sup>3</sup> vs. 2.72 ± 0.014 kg/m<sup>3</sup>) attributed to dense sulfide content. The flexural strength more than doubled (99.02 ± 4.42 GPa vs. 43.17 ± 6.45 GPa), experiencing a 129% increase, due to homogeneous chalcopyrite distribution and fine-grained sulfide networks. Despite strength differences, deflection rates showed a non-significant 4% variation (0.373 ± 0.083 mm for mineralized vs. 0.389 ± 0.074 mm for metamorphic rocks), indicating comparable ductility.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/15/7/263sulfide mineralizationthree-point flexural testP-wavemeta-rhyolitic tuffmechanical propertiesflexural strength |
| spellingShingle | Haitham M. Ahmed Essam B. Moustafa Comparative Flexural Response of Mineralized Massive Sulfides and Meta-Rhyolitic Rocks Geosciences sulfide mineralization three-point flexural test P-wave meta-rhyolitic tuff mechanical properties flexural strength |
| title | Comparative Flexural Response of Mineralized Massive Sulfides and Meta-Rhyolitic Rocks |
| title_full | Comparative Flexural Response of Mineralized Massive Sulfides and Meta-Rhyolitic Rocks |
| title_fullStr | Comparative Flexural Response of Mineralized Massive Sulfides and Meta-Rhyolitic Rocks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparative Flexural Response of Mineralized Massive Sulfides and Meta-Rhyolitic Rocks |
| title_short | Comparative Flexural Response of Mineralized Massive Sulfides and Meta-Rhyolitic Rocks |
| title_sort | comparative flexural response of mineralized massive sulfides and meta rhyolitic rocks |
| topic | sulfide mineralization three-point flexural test P-wave meta-rhyolitic tuff mechanical properties flexural strength |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/15/7/263 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT haithammahmed comparativeflexuralresponseofmineralizedmassivesulfidesandmetarhyoliticrocks AT essambmoustafa comparativeflexuralresponseofmineralizedmassivesulfidesandmetarhyoliticrocks |