Visualizing concentration distributions in macroscopic samples in the course of geochemical processes


Visualizing concentration distributions in macroscopic samples in the course of geochemical processes

Kulenkampff, J.; Karimzadeh, L.; Schymura, S.; Barthen, R.; Gründig, M.; Lippold, H.; Lippman-Pipke, J.

Geochemical processes, although generally well characterized on the molecular scale, are complicated by structural effects and process-inherent pattern formation. These effects cause variable scaling behaviour of the processes. This can be investigated through a significant process variable, the concentration of a geochemical species. As experimental method, therefore, we established positron emission tomography (PET) for high-resolving, sensitive, and quantitative tomographic imaging of tracer distributions in representative samples on the scale of drill cores (Kulenkampff et al. 2016). In contrast to other groups, we utilize a high-resolution PET-scanner and specially designed reconstruction software („GeoPET“) with about four times higher spatial resolution (about 1 mm) than standard medical PET scanners. This resolution is adequate for drill core sizes, and enables to visualize and analyze preferential pathway effects and local accumulations of tracers in detail, with an integration volume just above the typical pore scale. Thus, the method is ideally suited for parameterizing and verifying reactive transport simulations on the relevant macro-scale.
We applied the method on a variety of reactive transport processes, including leaching of copper minerals, injection of water glass for barrier improvement, transport of plant protectants in the soil, and transport of nano-particles in soils, rocks and technical devices.
Generally, both with conservative and reactive tracers, we observe strong localization of the transport pathways. This formation of preferential transport pathways implies that simulation models should consider a decrease of the effective volume and effective internal surface area, as well as high concentration gradients and non-uniform concentration distributions. PET is the potential method for parameterizing such models without prior flow simulations based on tomographic modalities for structural imaging, like µCT.

Kulenkampff, J., Gründig, M., Zakhnini, A., and Lippmann-Pipke, J.: Geoscientific process monitoring with positron emission tomography (GeoPET), Solid Earth, 7, 1217-1231, 2016.

Keywords: process tomography; PET; leaching; reactive transport

  • Lecture (Conference)
    9th International Conference on Porous Media & Annual Meeting, 08.-11.05.2017, Rotterdam, Niederlande

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Publ.-Id: 24365