资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

Understanding the impacts of porous media properties on geochemical reactions is challenging due to the highly heterogeneous nature of natural samples. This work explores the use of 3-D printing to create synthetic rock samples with reactive properties mimicking those of natural samples. Here, X-ray Computed Tomography and 3-D printing were used to recreate the pore network structure and reactive properties of a Paluxy sandstone. Novel, reactive filaments for 3-D printing synthetic rock samples were constructed from mixtures of high impact polystyrene and calcite. The distribution and accessible calcite surface area of printed samples were evaluated and compared to values for the real rock sample. Only a small fraction of the total calcite was on the surface of the printed sample, but the accessible calcite surface area was comparable to real samples such that 3-D printing may be a feasible means of fabricating reactive porous media samples.