Abstract
In underground excavation, rock fragmentation can be achieved by blasting with explosive materials or using continuous excavation machinery. The significant challenges with the explosives include noise, vibration, pollution, and potential issues such as damage to nearby structures. A less disruptive method for breaking rocks is using machines such as tunnel boring machine and road header those have the capability of continuous operation and are suitable for autonomous mining. In hard rock applications, the excavation machinery is associated with high equipment wear rates, low penetration rates, and consequently high operating costs. This research investigates the effect of microwave (MW) irradiation on hard rocks to facilitate continuous mining and improve the production rate while reducing costs. The effect of micro-cracks on the strength of the rock was studied through fracture toughness tests. The tests provide promising results in the application of MW in the future of mining.