Visualization experiments using one-dimensional (1-D) porous media made of Plexiglas and two-dimensional glass porous networks were conducted to obtain qualitative and quantitative information concerning the precipitation and crystal growth of CaCO3 under varying flow and concentration conditions. Supersaturated solutions were prepared by mixing sodium bicarbonate and calcium chloride solutions before the pore networks. Nucleation and crystal growth were assumed to occur within the porous media. Changes in the initial and final solution composition were monitored. At low initial supersaturation values (SRinitial), a few crystals were observed within the flow channels and crystal growth took place exclusively on the newly formed crystals. As the SRinitial increased, more crystals were formed along the flow channels and new crystallites were continuously formed during the course of the experiments. Nucleation and crystal growth were not uniform. The crystal growth rates depended on the initial value of SR and flow path inside the medium. Porosity for the 2-D networks decreased when the SRinitial was high or when calcite-cemented sand was used as substrate.

In the present work, the effect of wettability on CaCO 3 precipitation was approached by monitoring crystal formation in microchips of different wettability degree. Solutions of calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate were mixed in hydrophilic and neutral-wet Y-junction microchips, and the precipitation of CaCO 3 crystallites was monitored. Sequential pictures showed the formation and growth of CaCO 3 crystals as a function of time, and the precipitates were identified by Raman spectroscopy. The obtained results indicated that in hydrophilic microchips, the increase of supersaturation ratio value resulted in higher growth rates and aggregate formation. The neutral-wet microchip surfaces were found to accelerate the precipitation of CaCO 3 compared to hydrophilic surfaces, and in the case of neutral-wet surfaces, crystallites were formed mainly close to the wall surfaces. In hydrophilic microchips, calcite was the main precipitate, while aragonite formation was favored in neutral-wet microchips.

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