Fracturing

Fracturing refers to the process by which a material develops cracks or fractures under stress, temperature changes, chemical attack, or other driving forces. In solids, fractures form when existing flaws grow or new flaws nucleate and propagate, potentially leading to failure.

In geology, fractures include joints, faults, and veins. They partition rock into blocks, influence strength and deformational history, and govern fluid flow and seismic behavior. Fracture networks affect permeability, hydrocarbon migration, groundwater movement, and a rock's response to stress.

In materials science and engineering, fracture mechanics studies crack initiation and propagation. The Griffith criterion links crack size to applied stress; fracture toughness (K_IC) gauges resistance to fracture. Fracture modes include Mode I (opening), Mode II (sliding), and Mode III (tearing). Fracture can be brittle, with rapid crack growth, or ductile, involving considerable plastic deformation before failure. Fatigue fracture results from cyclic loading, initiating at flaws and propagating incrementally.

Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is a petroleum-engineering technique that uses high-pressure fluids to create and propagate fractures in reservoir rocks, often with proppants to keep fractures open. It increases permeability and extractable hydrocarbons but has raised concerns about groundwater, spills, and seismic effects.

Assessment and mitigation rely on non-destructive testing, fracture-surface analysis, and numerical modeling to predict crack growth. Design strategies include material toughening, redundancy, and crack-arrest features.