A preliminary study of the effect of alteration on breakage properties of andesites from Tállya and Recsk (Hungary)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17794/rgn.2026.1.8Keywords:
andesite, aggregate production, drop weight test, alteration, smectiteAbstract
This preliminary study investigates the influence of post-magmatic alteration on the breakage behaviour of andesitic rocks during comminution, with particular emphasis on the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) and smectite content. Six representative samples from two Hungarian quarries (Recsk and Tállya) exhibiting broadly similar mineralogical and textural properties but varying degrees of alteration were subjected to single particle breakage tests across multiple size fractions. Although the limited dataset does not allow for broad generalisation, the results provide a first indication that increased CIA values and higher smectite contents are associated with greater fragmentation susceptibility, as reflected by elevated A×b parameters. The study demonstrates that alteration indices can provide valuable predictive information on breakage response in andesitic rocks. These findings suggest the importance of integrating alteration metrics alongside traditional mineralogical and textural parameters when evaluating the breakage behaviour of andesitic rocks for aggregates production. While smectite quantification highlights the role of secondary phyllosilicate minerals in reducing the strength of andesitic rocks, CIA offers a more broadly applicable measure of alteration intensity that may be transferable across different volcanic contexts. The results are presented as a case study that highlights the potential of CIA and smectite quantification as predictive tools, while acknowledging the need for further research with larger datasets to confirm these trends.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Izabella Rebeka Márkus, Gábor Mucsi, Ádám Rácz
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