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Direct observations of oil‐water‐rock contacts are key for improving our understanding of multiphase flow phenomena in mixed‐wet reservoir rocks. In this study we imaged pore‐scale fluid‐fluid‐solid contacts in sandstone with nanometer resolution using cryogenic broad ion‐beam polishing in combination with scanning electron microscopy and phase identification by energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis. We observed, as expected, the nonwetting oil phase separated from quartz surfaces by a thin brine film, but also direct contacts between oil and rock at asperities and clay aggregates, which act as pinning points and cause discontinuous motion of the oil‐water‐solid contact line. For the rare classical configuration of a three‐phase contact the microscopic contact angle has been determined by serial sectioning. Our results call for improvements in models of multiphase pore‐scale flow in digital rocks.

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The extended process chain starting from slurry mixing up to the operative lithium‐ion battery requires a deep understanding of each individual process step and knowledge of the interaction of the different process steps with each other. In particular, the intertwining of slurry mixing and drying determines the microstructure of the electrode, which in turn affects the performance of the cell. Herein, a scalable multilayer approach is used to tailor electrodes with improved mechanical and electrochemical properties, which disclose their advantages especially at high drying rates. Cryogenic broad ion beam scanning electron microscopy (Cryo‐BIB‐SEM) micrographs are used to reveal the influences of different process parameters, like slurry formulation, mixing device, and properties of the active material on the intrinsic network between active particles and binders in graphite‐based anode slurries. By a chosen combination of these slurries in a multilayer electrode, a tenfold acceleration of the drying time with favorable mechanical and electrochemical properties for full cells derived from these anodes is demonstrated.