Use of 3D sand printing to study the behaviour of porous geomaterials

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The thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) behaviour of porous materials is dominated by processes that occur at the pore and grain scales. This proposal requests funding for purchasing a 3D sand printer capable of printing identical replicas of porous and fractured samples which will allow to produce almost identical replicas, thus, to separate the influence of the sample pore structure when studying its response under controlled THMC conditions. The requested equipment will specifically support three research programs that all involve the study of pore-scale phenomena in various porous geomaterials: 1) Study of how rock microstructure influences rock viscoelastic properties. The requested equipment will allow to print identical sandstone samples with controlled microstructures (fractures, voids etc…). Physical properties of these samples, containing fractures at different filling thicknesses, will be measured incidentally to µCT scanning. Using the expected results as a guide, time-variant images will be quantitatively related to fracture aperture, saturation, and density, thereby, providing us with a more comprehensive understanding of how a reservoir will change/evolve during stimulation and productions. 2) Study on the effect of fracture and pore structures on contaminant movement and remediation. The ability to design and print porous rocks will allow to better understand the role of pores on retention of contaminants and their impact on remediation processes. 3) Produce and test novel design of the new generation fuel cells and electrolysers for clean energy production. The possibility to fabricate internationally unique porous electrodes with a variety of design features, such as graded materials, contact angles, and porosity will allow to move from concepts to prototypes in a timely manner.