The influence of strain rate on the mechanics of particles is well documented. However, a comprehensive understanding of the strain rate effect on calcareous particles, particularly in the transition from static to dynamic loading, is still lacking in current literature. This study conducted 720 quasi-static and impact tests on irregular calcareous particles to investigate the macroscopic strain rate effect, and performed numerical simulations on spherical particles to explore the underlying microscopic mechanisms. The strain rate effect on the characteristic particle strength was found to exhibit three regimes: in Regime 1, the particle strength gradually improves when the strain rate is lower than approximately 102 s−1; in Regime 2, the particle strength sharply enhances when the strain rate increases from 102 s−1 to 104 s−1; and in Regime 3, the particle strength remains almost constant when the strain rate is higher than 104 s−1. The three-regime strain rate effect is an inherent property of the material and independent of particle shape. The asynchrony between loading and deformation plays a dominant role in these behaviors, leading to a thermoactivation-dominated effect in Regime 1, a macroscopic viscosity-dominated effect in Regime 2, and a combined thermoactivation and macroscopic viscosity-dominated effect in Regime 3. These mechanisms induce a transition in the failure mode from splitting to exploding and then smashing, which increases the energy required to rupture a single bond and, consequently, enhances the particle strength.

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Keywords: Calcareous particle, Strain rate effect, Laboratory tests, Particle breakage, Failure mode