I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Texas at Austin in Dr. Nicola Tisato's Rock Deformation Laboratory and Dr. D. Nicolas Espinoza's Energy Geomechanics Laboratory. The purpose of my research is to investigate the chemo-mechanical processes occurring when CO2, water, and ultramafic rocks interact. A lot of interest revolves around such geological systems because when the CO2 is injected into volcanic rocks and basalts, it forms carbonates that will sequester the CO2 in the subsurface with no risk of leakage [1, 2]. Under certain conditions, the formation of some carbonates can weaken the ultramafic rocks that are often mined to obtain metals and critical minerals. To understand these chemo-mechanical processes, I have designed and built an pressure vessel with the capability of simulating sub-surface stresses and inecting carbonic acid (CO2 + H2O) rock core plugs of serpentinized dunite from Canada that are targets for Nickel extraction. While injecting the carbonated water, I concurrently monitor acoustic emissions, indicative of crack formation (mineralization-driven cracks), the changes in elastic properties, and the permeability of the fractured rock.
The purpose of these multi-month injection experiments and µCT scans is to find the conditions where poromechanics and reaction kinetics are favorable to reaction-driven cracking. The implication of this process is connected fractures and pores and concomitant enhanced CO2 storage. This also weakens ultramafic cores that are otherwise uneconomical to mine and may provide opportunities for novel critical mineral leaching methods.
Email: UT email