Rock Physics and Geomechanics of 3-D Printed Rocks Available to Purchase

In last several years, 3D printing technology has been gradually applied to civil and petroleum engineering, although remains to be tentative. This study used two different cylindrical samples in size which are printed by gypsum powder to investigate the feasibility and reliability regarding rock-like behavior. As the substitutes of rock specimens, elastic properties of the samples are investigated through the velocity measurements and uniaxial compression test. The P-wave velocities and the attenuation coefficients of the 3D printed samples are obtained to estimate the quality factor of this special material, which aims to behave like a natural rock specimen. The mechanical parameters are also measured by uniaxial testing system, exposing the rock-type similarity in modes of deformation and failure. The size effect on the elastic properties is also analyzed. The results indicate that the feasibility and availability of 3D printing technology if applied to rock physics experiments and geomechanical testing, will provide the potency to better understand fundamental concepts.