The 10th International Conference on Energy, Resources, Environment and Sustainable Development (ERESD 2024)

This study investigates the fundamental properties of shallow aragonite porous Coral reef limestone (CRL) using nanoindentation and computed tomography (CT) scans to assess the micromechanical properties and explore the pore-scale dissolution characteristics under different temperatures and mineral component. A novel model based on the level-set method, coupled with a reactive-transport model, was developed to investigate the static dissolution process of complex pore CRL structure. The results indicate that the micromechanical parameters of Young’s modulus (E) at 34.09 GPa, hardness (H) at 3.6 GPa, and fracture toughness () at 1.48 MPa∙m0.5 , are lower than the calcite structures, and with an uneven overall distribution. Additionally, the introduction of image processing technology (IPT) has significantly enhanced the computation efficiency. The simulation results further explains that the volume of aragonite structure dissolution increases with temperature. When compared to the monocomponent structures, the multicomponent aragonite inhibits calcite dissolution, which altering the dissolution pathway. Notably, when the calcite content is considerably lower than aragonite, the temperature emerges as the primary factor for porosity increase, reaching up to 4.84%. This comprehensive analysis provides a deeper understanding physical and chemical properties of CRL, contributing to the safe and stable construction of islands and reefs.
 

Coral reef limestone, Nanoindentation, Level-set method, Image processing technology, Dissolution