Influence of Drying–Wetting Cycle of Acid Solution on the Mechanical Properties of Sandstone

Abstract

Ensuring the stability of reservoir slopes requires a comprehensive understanding of the mechanical properties of rocks after the drying–wetting cycles under acidic conditions. In this work, sandstone samples were selected and subjected to cyclic drying–wetting treatments with aqueous solutions of pH 7.0, 6.0, 4.0, and 2.0. The uniaxial compression tests and P-wave velocity measurement were carried out to evaluate the variations in the physico-mechanical properties of sandstones with different treatments. The results revealed that the internal structure of sandstones is softened by the drying–wetting cycles, which deteriorate their physico-mechanical properties. As the acidity of the aqueous solution increases, porosity and Poisson’s ratio show an increasing trend, while the strength characteristics, Young’s modulus, and P-wave velocity of sandstones present a decreasing trend. The physico-mechanical properties of sandstones significantly deteriorate from neutral to weakly acidic solutions; however, the deterioration becomes slower as the acidity continues to increase. Moreover, the physico-mechanical properties of sandstones are markedly reduced under strong acidic conditions.