Characteristics of thermo-gelation biopolymer solution injection into porous media

The objective of this study is to analyze the injection characteristics of thermo-gelation biopolymer (TG-BP) solutions for ground improvement applications. Two types of TG-BP, namely, agar and gellan gum, are utilized. Their material properties such as viscosity, interfacial tension, and contact angle are evaluated to determine their impacts on fluid flow through porous media. The results show that viscosity and contact angle are higher and interfacial tension is lower than those of water, thus leading to an increase in injectivity. Additionally, microscale experiments are conducted to evaluate the injection performance of TG-BP. The results indicate that injectivity decreases with increasing concentration of TG-BP but increases with increasing injection pressure. By considering the material properties of TG-BP, the relationship between these properties and injection performance, as well as the advantages of using TG-BP over traditional injection materials for ground improvement are discussed. The findings of this study have significant implications for the development of better injection materials and techniques for ground improvement applications.