Mechanical integrity of engineered cementitious composite during
geologic carbon storage
Abstract
Preventing leakage of CO2 along wellbore cement sheaths is a key factor
for ensuring success of geologic carbon storage (GCS) operations. Here,
we examine a potential alternative cementing material, engineered
cementitious composites (ECC), for use in GCS wellbore cementing
applications. ECC is a novel fiber-reinforced cementitious composite
that exhibits strain hardening and improved tensile ductility in
comparison to conventional cement. Improved ductility may prevent
wellbore damage caused by CO2 injection pressures and casing
expansion/contraction associated with thermal swings. Earlier work
examining physical alterations of ECC exposed to CO2 at 10 MPa and 50°C
found that damage to ECC was limited to microcracks with apertures less
than 60 µm after several weeks of reaction. However, microstructural
analysis revealed densification of the fiber/matrix interphase due to
calcite precipitation, which could alter the engineered bonding
properties between the matrix and fibers. Such alteration following
carbonation could negatively impact the long-term ductility of ECC used
for GCS wellbore cementing applications. This presentation will discuss
recent results from static batch studies investigating the impact of
CO2-acidified water on tensile ductility of ECC. Several ECC and
ordinary Portland cement (OPC) coupons were exposed to CO2-saturated
water under temperature and pressure conditions of 50oC and 10 MPa,
respectively, and samples were retrieved after 2, 7, 14, and 28 days.
Four-point flexural test and micro-CT analysis were carried out to
investigate the impact of carbonation on the ductility and
microstructural properties of ECC. Replicate experiments were also
conducted under the same conditions but with a N2 headspace to isolate
impacts associated with CO2 exposure. While the samples exposed to N2
continued to exhibit a multiple microcracking behavior with no
observable change in tensile ductility, the ductility of the composite
exposed to CO2-acidified water showed an increase in the ultimate
flexural strength and significant decrease in ductility as the duration
of reaction increased. OPC coupons exhibited brittle behaviors under all
test conditions. This suggests that the densification of the fiber
matrix interface after exposure to CO2 can compromise ECC’s overall
ductility.