Borehole plugging by hydrothermal transport. Final report
Calcium silicate--and aluminosilicate--compositions based on mixtures of fine grained quartz with various cements or calcium silicate compounds have been investigated under hydrothermal conditions in the temperature range 110-250/sup 0/C and pressure range 1,000-10,000 psi, pressures which are always in excess of that required to maintain liquid H/sub 2/O, and approximate the confining pressures which might be anticipated in deep boreholes. All silicate cement combinations investigated produce materials having adequate strength after reaction times of 1 day or longer. The calcium aluminate cement was also adequate with respect to strength but would need to be investigated more extensively for overall properties because of its highly reactive chemistry. The mini-rock cylinder-cement plug hydrothermal experiments in both limestone and sandstone resulted in reasonable magnitudes of bonding strength. The typical shear strength of a hydrothermally treated cement-sandstone plug is 1030 psi, and the compressive strength of the extruded cement plug is 9550 psi. Reactions having a potential for producing calcium carbonate plugs in holes drilled in carbonate rocks were studied. It should be noted that most cements are calcium silicate systems and are chemically compatible with the CaCO/sub 3/ and CaMg(CO/sub 3/)/sub 2/ in the rock walls of the hole. A side benefit from this research is some insight into the suitability of massive carbonate rocks as disposal sites. Carbonate rocks by themselves are highly impermeable, have low exchange capacity, and a low water content--all properties that are desirable in the storage medium. A major drawback is the presence of secondary permeability in the form of solutionally modified joints, fractures, and bedding planes.
- Research Organization:
- Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA). Materials Research Labs.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26; SUB-4091
- OSTI ID:
- 7324994
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/Sub/4091-3; TRN: 77-009035
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BOREHOLES
CLOSURES
CEMENTS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
CARBONATES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DENSITY
DIFFERENTIAL THERMAL ANALYSIS
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
HYDROTHERMAL SYNTHESIS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
SILICATES
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
BUILDING MATERIALS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CAVITIES
COHERENT SCATTERING
DIFFRACTION
KINETICS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MICROSCOPY
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
REACTION KINETICS
SCATTERING
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SYNTHESIS
THERMAL ANALYSIS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
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