Non-destructive identification of micrometer-scale minerals and their position within a bulk sample

Henning Osholm Sørensen; Sepidehsadat Hakim; Stefan Pedersen; Bo C. Christiansen; Zoltan Imre Balogh; Caroline Piper Hem; Ivan Jesus Sanchez Pasarin; Søren Schmidt; Ulrik Lund Olsen; Jette Oddershede; Cathrine Frandsen; Robert Krarup Feidenhans'l; Susan Louise Svane Stipp

doi:10.3749/canmin.50.2.501

Non-destructive identification of micrometer-scale minerals and their position within a bulk sample

Henning Osholm Sørensen, Sepidehsadat Hakim, Stefan Pedersen, Bo C. Christiansen, Zoltan Imre Balogh, Caroline Piper Hem, Ivan Jesus Sanchez Pasarin, Søren Schmidt, Ulrik Lund Olsen, Jette Oddershede, Cathrine Frandsen, Robert Krarup Feidenhans'l, Susan Louise Svane Stipp

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Using the conventional techniques of mineralogy, it has been a challenge to determine mineral identity, crystal orientation and spatial position of micrometer-sized crystals that are embedded in a rock, sediment or soil. Traditionally, the individual grains must be extracted and analyzed separately. Crushing or disintegrating a sample annihilates any possibility for gathering information from the texture of the porous media or the mineral assemblage close to the grains in question. A new method using three-dimensional X-ray diffraction (3DXRD) microscopy can be successfully applied to natural materials. We combined X-ray microtomography (XMT) and 3DXRD to investigate a sample of very fine-grained chalk containing fracture minerals. The XMT technique provides three-dimensional images of the particles and pore structure at very high resolution (350 nm voxel dimension) on samples less than 500 mm in diameter. The minor phases present as crystals in fractures were determined nondestructively with 3DXRD microscopy. The chalk fragment investigated is composed predominantly of randomly oriented nanometric crystals of calcite that produce powder rings where no texture can be observed. Superimposed on this pattern, Bragg diffraction peaks from the other crystalline phases were observed. Individual crystals of barite and pyrite only a few micrometers in diameter are present in the fractures. Magnetite, celestine and siderite, other minerals that might have been expected based on the XMT absorption contrast, were not identified. The crystal shape and in-fracture location, derived from the microtomograms, and the mineral identity, derived from 3DXRD, allowed us to propose that the fractures are original in these tiny drill cuttings; they were not induced by drilling and filled with drilling mud particles, thus allowing reliable estimates to be made of rock porosity and permeability.

Original language	English
Journal	Canadian Mineralogist
Volume	50
Issue number	2
Pages (from-to)	501-509
ISSN	0008-4476
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3749/canmin.50.2.501
Publication status	Published - Apr 2012

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Sørensen, H. O., Hakim, S., Pedersen, S., Christiansen, B. C., Balogh, Z. I., Hem, C. P., Sanchez Pasarin, I. J., Schmidt, S., Olsen, U. L., Oddershede, J., Frandsen, C., Feidenhans'l, R. K., & Stipp, S. L. S. (2012). Non-destructive identification of micrometer-scale minerals and their position within a bulk sample. Canadian Mineralogist, 50(2), 501-509. https://doi.org/10.3749/canmin.50.2.501

Sørensen, HO, Hakim, S, Pedersen, S, Christiansen, BC, Balogh, ZI, Hem, CP, Sanchez Pasarin, IJ, Schmidt, S, Olsen, UL, Oddershede, J, Frandsen, C, Feidenhans'l, RK & Stipp, SLS 2012, 'Non-destructive identification of micrometer-scale minerals and their position within a bulk sample', Canadian Mineralogist, vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 501-509. https://doi.org/10.3749/canmin.50.2.501

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title = "Non-destructive identification of micrometer-scale minerals and their position within a bulk sample",

abstract = "Using the conventional techniques of mineralogy, it has been a challenge to determine mineral identity, crystal orientation and spatial position of micrometer-sized crystals that are embedded in a rock, sediment or soil. Traditionally, the individual grains must be extracted and analyzed separately. Crushing or disintegrating a sample annihilates any possibility for gathering information from the texture of the porous media or the mineral assemblage close to the grains in question. A new method using three-dimensional X-ray diffraction (3DXRD) microscopy can be successfully applied to natural materials. We combined X-ray microtomography (XMT) and 3DXRD to investigate a sample of very fine-grained chalk containing fracture minerals. The XMT technique provides three-dimensional images of the particles and pore structure at very high resolution (350 nm voxel dimension) on samples less than 500 mm in diameter. The minor phases present as crystals in fractures were determined nondestructively with 3DXRD microscopy. The chalk fragment investigated is composed predominantly of randomly oriented nanometric crystals of calcite that produce powder rings where no texture can be observed. Superimposed on this pattern, Bragg diffraction peaks from the other crystalline phases were observed. Individual crystals of barite and pyrite only a few micrometers in diameter are present in the fractures. Magnetite, celestine and siderite, other minerals that might have been expected based on the XMT absorption contrast, were not identified. The crystal shape and in-fracture location, derived from the microtomograms, and the mineral identity, derived from 3DXRD, allowed us to propose that the fractures are original in these tiny drill cuttings; they were not induced by drilling and filled with drilling mud particles, thus allowing reliable estimates to be made of rock porosity and permeability.",

author = "S{\o}rensen, {Henning Osholm} and Sepidehsadat Hakim and Stefan Pedersen and Christiansen, {Bo C.} and Balogh, {Zoltan Imre} and Hem, {Caroline Piper} and {Sanchez Pasarin}, {Ivan Jesus} and S{\o}ren Schmidt and Olsen, {Ulrik Lund} and Jette Oddershede and Cathrine Frandsen and Feidenhans'l, {Robert Krarup} and Stipp, {Susan Louise Svane}",

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doi = "10.3749/canmin.50.2.501",

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AU - Sørensen, Henning Osholm

AU - Hakim, Sepidehsadat

AU - Pedersen, Stefan

AU - Christiansen, Bo C.

AU - Balogh, Zoltan Imre

AU - Hem, Caroline Piper

AU - Sanchez Pasarin, Ivan Jesus

AU - Schmidt, Søren

AU - Olsen, Ulrik Lund

AU - Oddershede, Jette

AU - Frandsen, Cathrine

AU - Feidenhans'l, Robert Krarup

AU - Stipp, Susan Louise Svane

PY - 2012/4

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N2 - Using the conventional techniques of mineralogy, it has been a challenge to determine mineral identity, crystal orientation and spatial position of micrometer-sized crystals that are embedded in a rock, sediment or soil. Traditionally, the individual grains must be extracted and analyzed separately. Crushing or disintegrating a sample annihilates any possibility for gathering information from the texture of the porous media or the mineral assemblage close to the grains in question. A new method using three-dimensional X-ray diffraction (3DXRD) microscopy can be successfully applied to natural materials. We combined X-ray microtomography (XMT) and 3DXRD to investigate a sample of very fine-grained chalk containing fracture minerals. The XMT technique provides three-dimensional images of the particles and pore structure at very high resolution (350 nm voxel dimension) on samples less than 500 mm in diameter. The minor phases present as crystals in fractures were determined nondestructively with 3DXRD microscopy. The chalk fragment investigated is composed predominantly of randomly oriented nanometric crystals of calcite that produce powder rings where no texture can be observed. Superimposed on this pattern, Bragg diffraction peaks from the other crystalline phases were observed. Individual crystals of barite and pyrite only a few micrometers in diameter are present in the fractures. Magnetite, celestine and siderite, other minerals that might have been expected based on the XMT absorption contrast, were not identified. The crystal shape and in-fracture location, derived from the microtomograms, and the mineral identity, derived from 3DXRD, allowed us to propose that the fractures are original in these tiny drill cuttings; they were not induced by drilling and filled with drilling mud particles, thus allowing reliable estimates to be made of rock porosity and permeability.

AB - Using the conventional techniques of mineralogy, it has been a challenge to determine mineral identity, crystal orientation and spatial position of micrometer-sized crystals that are embedded in a rock, sediment or soil. Traditionally, the individual grains must be extracted and analyzed separately. Crushing or disintegrating a sample annihilates any possibility for gathering information from the texture of the porous media or the mineral assemblage close to the grains in question. A new method using three-dimensional X-ray diffraction (3DXRD) microscopy can be successfully applied to natural materials. We combined X-ray microtomography (XMT) and 3DXRD to investigate a sample of very fine-grained chalk containing fracture minerals. The XMT technique provides three-dimensional images of the particles and pore structure at very high resolution (350 nm voxel dimension) on samples less than 500 mm in diameter. The minor phases present as crystals in fractures were determined nondestructively with 3DXRD microscopy. The chalk fragment investigated is composed predominantly of randomly oriented nanometric crystals of calcite that produce powder rings where no texture can be observed. Superimposed on this pattern, Bragg diffraction peaks from the other crystalline phases were observed. Individual crystals of barite and pyrite only a few micrometers in diameter are present in the fractures. Magnetite, celestine and siderite, other minerals that might have been expected based on the XMT absorption contrast, were not identified. The crystal shape and in-fracture location, derived from the microtomograms, and the mineral identity, derived from 3DXRD, allowed us to propose that the fractures are original in these tiny drill cuttings; they were not induced by drilling and filled with drilling mud particles, thus allowing reliable estimates to be made of rock porosity and permeability.

U2 - 10.3749/canmin.50.2.501

DO - 10.3749/canmin.50.2.501

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0008-4476

VL - 50

SP - 501

EP - 509

JO - Canadian Mineralogist

JF - Canadian Mineralogist

IS - 2

ER -

Non-destructive identification of micrometer-scale minerals and their position within a bulk sample

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