Method of porosity estimation from scanning electron microscopy images

Abstract

Scanning electron microscopy can now produce high-resolution surface images, which are powerful tools for analyzing the structure of materials. Many software programs have been used by scientists to interpret scanning electron microscopy images to accurately interpret material structures. The collected images are a rich source of information on factors such as porosity, size, and shape of the grain structure, and these factors are visually interpreted. Additional quantitative data can be accessed through image analysis applications. The research team used backscattered electron (BSE) images, collected from polished cross-sections of five sandstone samples from different areas, including two sandstone samples from Bach Ho fieldand three samples from sandstone formations along national highways in Lang Son and Bac Giang. Scanned electron images were collected on FEI's Quanta450 device, processed in grids using image analysis software (ImageJ). The results of porosity interpretation were compared with the Helium expansion method on Corelab equipment at the Center for Analysis and High-Tech Experiments –Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, thereby determining the correlation between the two methods and demonstrating the superiority of the SEM image interpretation method in estimating nano porosity compared to other method