Rock brittleness is often calculated from mechanical properties, yet the way minerals are arranged and connected also influences how a reef fails. Existing mineralogical indices can be subjective about which components count as brittle.
Ncedo Matukane combined fieldwork, microscopy, laboratory tests, numerical simulation and multivariate modelling to characterise UG2 reef from the eastern Bushveld Complex. The study introduced indices that include texture, contact type, contact nature and packing density, then compared them with established mineralogical and mechanical measures.
Contact type and contact nature emerged as the strongest mineralogical predictors in the study, while tensile and compressive strength were important mechanical predictors. The result is a more explicit route from petrographic evidence to brittleness assessment—useful groundwork for cutting, drilling and equipment selection.
Ncedo completed the University of Limpopo MSc with distinction in 2025.