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Neutron Diffraction Measurement of Pore Pressure Influence on Lattice Strains in Geological Materials...

by Yarom Polsky, Luc L Dessieux, Ke An
Publication Type
Conference Paper
Publication Date
Conference Name
2017 American Rock Mechanics Association annual meeting
Conference Location
San Francisco, California, United States of America
Conference Date
-

The laboratory experiments typically performed to measure poroelastic properties evaluate the macroscopic
deformation of samples. While these techniques are adequate for capturing bulk effects, they fail to capture fine detail related to the
actual deformation of constituent mineral phases because the measurement captures the combined effect of pore network geometry
change and polymineralic deformation. A more precise measurement of mineral deformation in fluid saturated porous media has
the potential to improve understanding of poroelastic behavior and material failure where pore pressure is present.
Neutron diffraction has emerged as a unique and powerful technique for measuring the localized lattice strains of mineral phases
inside of geological materials. The highly penetrating nature of neutrons also permits interrogation of the interior regions of
geological samples even when they are contained in otherwise difficult to access or opaque structures such as pressure vessels. This
paper summarizes a set of neutron diffraction experiments that were performed with geological materials of varying porosity and
permeability using a custom-designed triaxial pressure cell. The results confirm that neutron diffraction