Experimental study on evaluation of density, P-wave velocity, thermal conductivity, and thermal diffusion coefficient of granite after thermal treatments by using PCA

Sci Rep. 2024 Apr 2;14(1):7748. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-58519-4.

Abstract

Temperature significantly influences the physical parameters of granite, resulting in variations in the rock's thermal conductivity. In order to examine the impact of changes in multiple physical parameters of granite at different temperatures on the thermal conductivity of rocks, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed to determine the correlation between granite at different temperatures and various physical parameters, including density (ρ), P-wave velocity (P), thermal conductivity (KT), and thermal diffusion coefficient (KD). Utilizing the linear contribution rate, a single indicator 'y' was derived to comprehensively represent the thermal conductivity of rocks. Research findings indicate that within the temperature range of 150-450 °C, the 'y'-value is relatively high, signifying favorable thermal conductivity of the rock. Notably, longitudinal wave velocity demonstrates higher sensitivity to temperature changes compared to other physical parameters.

Keywords: Granite; PCA; Parameter index; Physical parameters; Thermal conductivity.