Reconstruction of 3D microstructure of the rock sample basing on the CT images

Abstract

A new image segmentation algorithm based on the Kring interpolation algorithm is proposed to segment the CT images of the rock into pore systems and the mineral grain systems. With the method, the CT image of the rock is segmented without isolated island by analyzing the correlation between the pixels of the Image. The 3D microstructure of the pore system and the mineral grain system in the rock sample are reconstructed basing on the segmented images with matching cube algorithm, in which the volume element is reconstructed with 3-dimensional interpolation method and the equipotential surface is analyzed by triangular facet method. The reconstructed microstructures are verified by slice images in two other orthometric directions and the results prove that both the distribution and the shape characteristic of the pores and mineral grains in the reconstructed microstructure are in coincidence with that in the actual CT image with statistical significance.