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Description
This study investigates Laponite® suspensions as injectable, self-organizing flow barriers for subsurface hydrogen storage by linking rheology to pore-scale containment performance. Guided by the phase diagram, 2–3 wt% suspensions were prepared and rheologically characterized, revealing low initial viscosity followed by time-dependent increases in viscosity and elasticity; 3 wt% suspensions aged (gelled) too rapidly for practical injection, whereas 2–2.5 wt% formulations provided a workable sol–gel transition window. Injectability and sealing performance were evaluated in rock-patterned microfluidic devices emulating Berea sandstone, where 2 and 2.5 wt% suspensions were injected, aged at 20, 45, and 75 °C for prescribed periods, and then subjected to pressurized hydrogen in a custom high-pressure setup until breakthrough. Breakthrough pressures across 38.38 mm of porous media reached 105 psi for 2 wt% and 346 psi for 2.5 wt% suspensions after 18 days at 75 °C, demonstrating that appropriately aged 2.5 wt% suspensions form a robust, pressure-bearing in situ geobarrier. These results establish a direct link between aging rheology and containment performance and highlight the potential of Laponite® suspensions as engineered thixotropic geobarriers for subsurface containment and energy storage applications.
| Country | USA |
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