Novel fabrication of mixed wettability micromodels for pore-scale studies of fluid-rock interactions

Wettability plays a crucial role in multiphase fluid flow in porous media, impacting various geological applications such as hydrocarbon extraction, aquifer remediation, and carbon dioxide sequestration. Microfluidic methods have attracted interest for their capacity to explore and visualize essential multiphase flow dynamics at the pore level, mimicking actual rock pore structures. However, creating micromodels with representative mixed wettability is currently a challenge. Existing technology is limited to producing micromodels with a singular wettability, either water-wet or oil-wet, leaving a gap in representing mixed-wet scenarios. In this study, we introduce a novel method to fabricate microfluidic devices with controlled spatial distribution of wettability at the micro-scale, mimicking actual configurations of mixed-wet rocks arising from varied mineralogy and pore structures. The proposed method combines the soft lithography process with thin film deposition techniques. The micromodels were designed to mimic the pore network of actual reservoir rocks, and a silicon substrate served as the foundation for the photolithography process optimization and wettability alteration methodology. Perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane coating was applied using molecular vapor deposition technology for surface wettability modification. The coated parts of the microdevice substrate altered the localized wetting state of the silicon towards hydrophobic, while the wettability remained unchanged in the non-coated areas. We utilized surface measurements, including contact angle, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy, to assess the wettability, composition, thickness, shape, roughness, and overall quality of the coating. Our fabrication process successfully produced a microfluidics device with tailored mixed-wet attributes at the micro-scale, which is, to our best knowledge, the first achievement in the field. This method enables the replication of mixed-wet characteristics commonly seen in various applications, such as carbonates and shales within underground rocks, providing a more accurate examination of fundamental multiphase fluid dynamics and rock interactions at the pore level. Fabrication of micromodels mimicking natural rocks with mixed wettability, combining hydrophobic and hydrophilic characteristics. Surface modifications represent mineral heterogeneity, highlighting diverse wetting properties in the pore structure.