Petrologie der Ozeankruste

Flow-through reactors refer to an experimental setup that allows for the simulation of flow-dependent water-rock interaction processes under laboratory conditions. The focus of experimental studies lies on the feedback relations between porosity, permeability, pore space geometry and fluid flow rates in the context of dissolution and precipitation reactions.

X-Ray trans­pa­rent flow-through re­ac­tor

This flow-through set­up was de­si­gned un­der the lead of Dr. Wolf-Achim Kahl and enables per­co­la­ti­on ex­pe­ri­ments in­ves­ti­ga­ting the in­ter­de­pen­den­cies of po­ro­si­ty, per­me­a­bi­li­ty, flu­id flow ra­tes as well as pore space geo­me­try and their feed­back re­la­ti­ons­hip in the cour­se of dis­so­lu­ti­on and pre­ci­pi­ta­ti­on re­ac­tions (Kahl et al. 2016). Rock co­res (up to ø 19 mm) or pow­der sam­ples are con­fi­ned wi­t­hin an X-ray trans­pa­rent flow-trough re­ac­tion cell made of PEEK (po­ly­ethe­re­ther­ke­to­ne). Tem­pe­ra­tu­re can be ad­jus­ted up to a le­vel of 200 °C, whi­le a flu­id re­ac­tant can be forced through the so­lid re­ac­tant wi­t­hin the cell at pres­su­res up to 10 MPa. Whi­le flu­id sam­ples can be drawn at any time, in ad­di­ti­on, re­ac­tion pro­gress can be mo­ni­to­red through re­pea­ted mi­cro­to­mo­gra­phic scans (µ-CT). Three flow-through set­ups are avail­able in the Hydro­ther­mal Lab (Hy­Lab) of the Pe­tro­lo­gy of the Oce­an Crust re­se­arch group.

Contact person for technical information

Dr. Wolf-Achim Kahl