Laboratory technique for plastic saturation of porous rocks

Approximately 100% plastic saturation was obtained with natural rock specimens having permeabilities greater than 0.1 md., using the following impregnation technique: 1) immerse 20 X 20 X 10-mm. specimen in 20 ml. of colored plastic (a 3:1 epoxy-butyl glycidyl ether resin mixture with 10 parts/hundred of diethylenetriamine and 0.4 part/hundred blue dye added); 2) subject the immersed specimen to a 45-min. vacuum and 60-min. 100-125 atm. pressure cycle; 3) allow plastic to gel and then cure at 125 degrees C. for 2 hours. Complete saturation of samples having appreciable porosity but permeabilities less than 0.1 md. was not obtained even when subjected to pressures as high as 700 atm.