An improved method of laser particle size analysis and its applications in identification of lacustrine tempestite and beach bar: An example from the Dongying depression

Abstract

Grain size analysis is a common method in the study of sedimentology. For the consolidated sedimentary rocks, the traditional methods are rock slice observation and image analysis. In recent years, laser particle size analyzer is used widely in particle size analysis of sedimentary rock. Unlike the pretreatment of loose samples, the rock samples must be crushed, added acid to wipe out cement, and washed. However, in the step of washing, most of the fines component (less than 63 μm) in the suspended state should be inevitably lost. It will significantly affect the accuracy of particle size analysis, especially for siltstone. This paper presents a siltstone sample pretreatment method which core step is washing acid by centrifuge. Compared with traditional decantation method, the results show that the median particle size reduced 33.2 μm on average. Compared with the precipitation method which is commonly used for handling loose samples, the change of solid-liquid separation time is from 12 h to 10 min, while the average reduction of median particle size is about 15 μm. The grain size value corresponded to the cumulative volume of 10%/90% reduced 2.5 μm/20.3 μm on average. The percentage of the clay component less than 2 μm increased 2.88% on average. The fine particle (2–4 μm) and silt component (4–63 μm) increased 1.71% and 5.56% on average. Based on this method, two kinds of similar lacustrine siltstone were analyzed. They are tempestite and beach bar which are difficult to identify in the Lijin sub-depression, Dongying depression, Shengli oilfield, China. The final grain-size probability plot of tempestite is the type of “one saltation component and three suspension components”. The content of suspension components can reach to 80%–90%. The beach bar is the type of “one saltation component and two suspension components”. The content of suspension components can reach to 40%–45%. They both have the characteristics of high slope which means well sorting. But they can be distinguished based on the suspension sedimentary characteristics which were preserved by maximum degree in this kind of sample pretreatment method.

Keywords

siltstone / grain size analysis / sample pretreatment / washing acid / centrifuge

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