Study of physical and mechanical properties and particle shape characteristics at various stages of gabbrodolerite processing into crushed stone

Crushed stone is widely used as a versatile aggregate in construction. The growing demand for high-quality aggregates underscores the importance of assessing the strength properties of both the rock and the crushed product during exploration and subsurface studies. Understanding how processing affects these properties is crucial for optimizing crushed aggregate production. This study aims to investigate the shape characteristics of crushed stone particles and evaluate their influence on the physical and mechanical properties of the final  product. The findings indicate that different stages of gabbrodolerite processing significantly impact its properties. Specific particle shapes were found to improve the strength characteristics of the crushed stone, providing new insights into the effects of crushing processes. An improvement in the quality characteristics of gabbrodolerite after primary crushing with a JC 1600 crusher was observed when compared to the original samples (post-explosive fracturing). The key particle shape characteristic, the flakiness index, was reduced by 2 to 2.5 times after the third stage of processing with the HP4 A and Barmac B9100SE crushers. Crushed stone subjected to three stages of crushing exhibited improved strength, as evidenced by reduced mass loss when establishing crushability decreased of 1.5 to 2 times, losses by micro-Deval decreased on the average by 2.4 %. Simulations of particle wear demonstrated changes in shape, with an increase in roundness and a reduction in surface roughness and flatness, while elongation remained nearly unchanged. A study of the physical and mechanical properties and shape characteristics of crushed stone has revealed certain patterns that indicate which types of stone are best suited for different construction tasks. The research was funded by the federal budget to fulfill the state assignment for the Institute of Geology of the Karelian Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences.