Real-rock microfluidic platform for quantifying chemical dissolution and mechanical erosion in a multiphase
Chen-Xing Zhou1,2, Ran Hu1,2, Hang Deng3
1State Key Laboratory of Water Resources Engineering and Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China. whuran@whu.edu.cn.
Lab on a Chip
|November 3, 2025
Summary
We developed a new microfluidic platform to observe fluid-rock erosion in real rocks. This tool reveals how CO2 bubbles control chemical and mechanical erosion, advancing our understanding of subsurface processes.
Area of Science:
- Geochemistry
- Geology
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Fluid-rock interactions are crucial but poorly understood due to limited observation tools.
- Existing methods struggle to balance spatial resolution and temporal dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an integrated platform for simultaneous visualization and quantification of erosion dynamics in multiphase reactive systems.
- To investigate erosion during acid-rock interactions and identify regime transitions.
Main Methods:
- Developed a real-rock microfluidic platform using limestone.
- Integrated fluorescence microscopy, micro-particle image velocimetry, and ion chromatography.
- Monitored solid-liquid-gas interfaces and flow fields at micrometer resolution.
Main Results:
- Identified a transition between transport-limited and reaction-limited erosion regimes controlled by CO2 bubble mobility.
- Observed enhanced dissolution and detachment in the transport-limited regime with immobile bubbles.
- Found suppressed erosion in the reaction-limited regime due to bubble shielding.
Conclusions:
- Derived scaling laws for chemical and mechanical erosion rates.
- Validated a theoretical model for regime transition based on Péclet number.
- The platform offers a versatile tool for studying pore-scale reactive transport in subsurface environments.
