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Multifractal Characteristics of MIP-Based Pore Size Distribution of 3D-Printed Powder-Based Rocks: A Study of Post-Processing Effect

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Abstract

3D printing technology offers an innovative approach to manufacture rock samples with controlled properties. However, in this process, pore structure is one of the major concerns when printing similar specimens to natural rocks. The purpose of this study was to lay out an optimal post-processing of 3D-printed samples that can facilitate replicating natural rocks with similar microstructure characteristics. In this study, four cylindrical rocks were manufactured without designed porosity by 3D printing using gypsum powder as the main component. Various types of infiltrants (Colorbond® and Surehold®) and coating conditions (SmoothOn® and WBAE®) were used after completing the printing process of binder jetting. Mercury injection porosimetry was then used to investigate their petrophysical properties including porosity and pore throat size distribution. Multifractal theory was applied to understand the heterogeneity of pore throat distribution within the 3D-printed samples on different pore size intervals. The results showed that 3D-printed rocks have a clustered and negative skewness of pore throat size distributions. The majority of pore sizes are micropores, while a small portion can be categorized under nanopore size category. Multifractal analysis results found a homogeneous distribution of micropores but a heterogeneous distribution of nanopores. Comparing four different samples, it was found that infiltrants could mainly affect the heterogeneous distribution of nanopores more than the micropores, whereas coating does not impact pore structure significantly. In comparison with pore multifractal characteristics of common types of natural rocks, 3D-printed rocks exhibited a higher heterogeneity of pore size distribution.

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Acknowledgements

The author greatly appreciates the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Foundation for awarding the 2017 Grand-in-aid. Co-author, Dr. Bo Liu, is supported by University Nursing Program for Young Scholars with Creative Talents in Heilongjianng Province (UNPYSCT-2015077).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Petroleum Engineering, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA

    Lingyun Kong, Mehdi Ostadhassan, Chunxiao Li & Kouqi Liu

  2. Accumulation and Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas, State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base Jointly-constructed By Heilongjiang Province and Ministry of Science and Technology, Northeast Petroleum University, Daqing, China

    Bo Liu

  3. Harold Hamm School of Geology and Geological Engineering, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA

    Chunxiao Li

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  1. Lingyun Kong
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Kong, L., Ostadhassan, M., Liu, B. et al. Multifractal Characteristics of MIP-Based Pore Size Distribution of 3D-Printed Powder-Based Rocks: A Study of Post-Processing Effect. Transp Porous Med 129, 599–618 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-018-1152-9

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