Publication: Effect of solute concentration on the spectral induced polarization response of calcite precipitation

in Geophysical Journal International Volume 220, Issue 2, February 2020, Pages 1187-1196
by Satoshi Izumoto, Johan Alexander Huisman, Yuxin Wu, Harry Vereecken
https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggz515

Abstract

Induced calcite precipitation is used in geotechnics to modify the mechanical and hydrological properties of the underground. Laboratory experiments have shown that spectral induced polarization (SIP) measurements can detect calcite precipitation. However, the results of previous studies investigating the SIP response of calcite precipitation were not fully consistent.

This study aims to investigate how the SIP response of calcite depends on solute concentration to explain the differences in SIP response observed in previous studies. A four-phase experiment with SIP measurements on a column filled with sand was performed. In phase I, calcite precipitation was generated for a period of 12 d by co-injecting Na2CO3 and CaCl2 solutions through two different ports. This resulted in a well-defined calcite precipitation front, which was associated with an increase in the imaginary part of the conductivity (⁠σ′′σ′′⁠). In phase II, diluted solutions were injected into the column. This resulted in a clear decrease in σ′′σ′′⁠. In phase III, the injection of the two solutions was stopped while calcite precipitation continued and solute concentrations in the mixing zone decreased. Again, this decreased σ′′σ′′⁠. Finally, the injection rate of the Na2CO3 solution was reduced relative to that of the CaCl2 solution in phase IV. This resulted in a shift of the mixing zone away from the calcite precipitation front established in phase I and an associated decrease of σ′′σ′′⁠.

These results imply that the SIP response of calcite is highly sensitive to the solute concentration near the precipitates, which may explain previously reported conflicting results.

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Abstract: Spectral induced polarization of calcite precipitation in a porous media

Event: AGU Fall Meeting, Washington DC (USA), December 2018
Abstract by Satoshi Izumoto , Johan Alexander Huisman, Egon Zimmermann, Yves Méheust, Francesco Gomez, Joris Heyman, Wu Yuxin, Harry Verecken, Tanguy Le Borgne


Abstract

Induced calcite precipitation is used in a range of in-situ geotechnical applications to modify the mechanical and hydrological properties of soils and fractured rocks. It is also a model process for mixing-induced biogeochemical reactions that occur naturally in a broad range of hydrological systems. Laboratory experiments have shown that spectral induced polarization (SIP) measurements can be used to monitor calcite precipitation. However, the results of the limited number of previous studies investigating the SIP response of calcite precipitation were not fully consistent.

This study aims to investigate how the SIP response of calcite depends on solute composition, since this may explain the differences in SIP response observed in previous studies. For this, a five-phase experiment with SIP measurements on a column filled with sand was performed.

In phase I, calcite precipitation was generated for a period of 12 days by injecting Na2CO3 and CaCl2 solutions through two different ports. This resulted in a well-defined calcite precipitation front, which was associated with an increase in the imaginary conductivity in the kHz frequency range.

In phase II, the injected solutions were stepwise diluted. This resulted in a clear decrease in the imaginary conductivity.

In phase III, the injection of the two solutions was stopped. Nevertheless, calcite precipitation continued and solute concentrations in the mixing zone decreased. As in phase II, this led to a decrease in the imaginary conductivity.

In phase IV, the injection rate of the Na2CO3 solution was reduced to shift the mixing zone away from the calcite precipitation front, which also decreased the imaginary conductivity.

Finally, the column was flushed with a solution in equilibrium with calcite in phase V, which led to a very small SIP signal.

These results imply that the SIP response of calcite is very sensitive to the solution composition near the precipitates, which may explain the previously reported conflicting results. In a next step, the relationship between SIP response, volume of calcite, and solute composition will be quantitatively investigated using SIP measurements on a 2D milifluidic cell with an artificial porous media that allows visualizing the temporal dynamics of calcite precipitation.


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Abstract: Spectral induced polarization response of calcite precipitation

Event: 5th International Workshop on Induced Polarization, Newark (USA), October 2018
Abstract by Satoshi Izumoto, Johan Alexander Huiman, Egon Zimmermann, Odilia Esser, Franz-Hubert Haegel, Harry Vereecken


Abstract

Induced calcite precipitation is used in a range of geotechnical applications to improve the mechanical properties of porous media. It has been shown that spectral induced polarization (SIP) allows to monitor calcite precipitation, although results were partly inconsistent. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how the SIP response of calcite depends on solute composition, since this may explain the differences in previous studies. SIP measurements were made on a column filled with sand while calcite precipitation was created by injecting Na2CO3 and CaCl2 solutions through two different ports. The experiment consisted of five phases. In phase I, calcite precipitation was generated for a period of 12 days. This resulted in a well-defined calcite precipitation front, which was associated with an increase in the imaginary conductivity. In phase II, the injected solutions were increasingly diluted. This resulted in a clear decrease in imaginary conductivity. In phase III, the injection of the two solutions was stopped. Nevertheless, calcite precipitation continued and solute concentrations in the mixing zone decreased. As in phase II, this led to a decrease in the imaginary conductivity. In phase IV, the injection rate of the Na2CO3 solution was reduced to shift the mixing zone, which also decreased the imaginary conductivity. Finally, the column was flushed with a solution in equilibrium with calcite in phase V, which led to a very small SIP signal. These results imply that calcite only generates a SIP response when it is in contact with solution which is strongly oversaturated with respect to calcite.


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