InterPore2026

Redissolution Controls Clogging Dynamics During Coupled Mineral Dissolution and Precipitation

20 May 2026, 12:05

15m

Oral Presentation (MS09) Pore-Scale Physics and Modeling MS09

Speaker

Jingxuan Deng

Description

Coupled dissolution and precipitation governs many geophysical processes and applications. For example, carbon mineralization is a promising strategy for long-term CO₂ sequestration that involves dissolution and precipitation. During CO₂ mineralization, dissolution of primary minerals can lead to the precipitation of secondary minerals that could clog preferential flow paths, limiting the access of CO₂-charged fluids to reactive host minerals and thereby reducing overall carbon storage efficiency. As injection proceeds, continued delivery of low-pH fluids may promote the redissolution of previously formed precipitates, allowing mineral material to be redistributed downstream. This process may play a critical role in mitigating clogging; however, the role of redissolution in carbon mineralization remains poorly understood.

In this study, we use pore network modeling to simulate the coupled processes of dissolution, precipitation, and redissolution. We systematically investigate how redissolution of the precipitates influences dissolution–precipitation patterns over a wide parameter space and identify the regimes and mechanisms by which redissolution mitigates or intensifies clogging. Our results show that redissolution can either intensify downstream clogging or significantly reduces clogging by reopening constricted flow paths and redistributing reactive fluids. We identify parameter space where redissolution leads to more sustained reactions and higher mineralization efficiency over time. These findings demonstrate that redissolution can fundamentally control flow, transport, and clogging during carbon mineralization. These results highlight the importance of explicitly accounting for redissolution processes and have important implications for predicting and optimizing the efficiency and long-term performance of subsurface carbon mineralization and storage strategies.