Chip Surface Modification

Pore geometry is only part of a reservoir model: surface mineralogy and wettability govern phase distribution, reagent adsorption and displacement efficiency. Glass and silicon have uniform surfaces, while rock consists of minerals with different properties, and water-wet, oil-wet and intermediate zones coexist in the reservoir.

LABADVANCE selects the modification method for the target reservoir, fluids and experiment goal and applies the coating directly inside the channels of a finished chip. Depending on the task, this may be silanization, stearic-acid treatment, calcite growth, layer-by-layer deposition, supersaturated solutions or tailored mineral and metal layers. Different regions of one micromodel can receive different properties, reproducing mixed wettability and mineralogical boundaries without changing pore geometry.

The method is adapted to complex pore networks: the coating treats the internal surface while preserving channel connectivity and optical access. Permeability, coating distribution, absence of pore blocking and stability in the working fluid are checked; contact angle can be measured on a control plate.

A series of chips with identical geometry and different modifications isolates the surface contribution to displacement, adsorption and phase retention. Surface effects are tested on small volumes before core studies, and the agreed coating specification is reused for new comparable series.