Based on energy theory and tests of rocks with initial confining pressures of 10, 20 and 30 MPa under different unloading paths, the processes of strain energy conversion were investigated. The absorbing strain energy for axial compression, the dissipating strain energy for plastic deformation and cracks propagation, the expending strain energy for circumferential deformation, and the storing and releasing elastic strain energy were considered. Unloading paths included the condition of fixing axial pressure and unloading axial pressure, increasing axial pressure and unloading confining pressure, as well as unloading axial pressure and confining pressure simultaneously. Results show that expending strain energy for circumferential deformation has mainly evolved from absorbing strain energy for axial compression in three unloading paths during unloading processes. Dissipating strain energy is significantly increased only near the peak point. The effect of initial confining pressure on strain energy is significantly higher than that of unloading path. The strain energy is linearly increased with increasing initial confining pressure. The unloading path and initial confining pressure also have great influence on the energy dissipation. The conversion rate of strain energy in three paths is increased with increasing initial confining pressure, and the effect of initial confining pressure on conversion rate of strain energy is related with the unloading paths.
