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Permeability evolution and microstructural regulation of clay cement grouted body under coupled seepage and stress conditions
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  • Published: 18 February 2026

Permeability evolution and microstructural regulation of clay cement grouted body under coupled seepage and stress conditions

  • Chai Lujun1,2,
  • Wei Yaoxiang4,
  • Wu Kun1,2 &
  • …
  • Cheng Aiping3 

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Engineering
  • Solid Earth sciences

Abstract

Clay-cement grouted body (CCGB), as a green grouting material, have been widely applied in mine grouting water-blocking technology, and their permeability characteristics are of great significance to the safe mining of mines. Based on this, in this study, CCGB specimens with different cement contents (50%, 70%, 90%) were prepared. Using a rock permeability test system, seepage-stress coupling permeability tests on CCGB were conducted under different cement contents, osmotic pressures, and confining pressures. The permeability characteristics evolution laws of CCGB under different cement contents, osmotic pressures, and confining pressures were clarified; combined with rock microscopic testing, the correlation characteristics among permeability, flow velocity, and porosity of CCGB under different cement contents, osmotic pressures, and confining pressures were investigated; and the permeability characteristics evolution mechanism of CCGB under seepage-stress coupling was revealed. The research results show that: (1) The permeability and microscopic pore structure of CCGB are significantly regulated by cement content: Increasing the cement content from 50 to 70% resulted in a decrease in permeability by 1.81 × 10−4 µm2 and a reduction in porosity by 0.076. Increasing the cement content from 70 to 90% resulted in a decrease in permeability by 2.538 × 10−4 µm2 and a reduction in porosity by 0.006; (2) Under seepage-stress coupling, the permeability of CCGB is affected by osmotic pressure through the enhancement of seepage erosion: as osmotic pressure increases, fluid erosion is intensified, and porosity, flow velocity, and permeability all increase; (3) Under seepage-stress coupling, seepage in CCGB is inhibited by confining pressure through the enhancement of volume compression: with the increase of confining pressure, the volume shrinkage and seepage inhibition effects of CCGB are strengthened, and porosity, seepage velocity, and permeability all decrease; (4) Under seepage-stress coupling, the permeability characteristics evolution of CCGB is dominated by the competitive balance between erosion effect and compaction effect, and microscopic pore structure and mineral composition are the key regulatory factors. The research results can provide theoretical guidance for the production practice of green grouting engineering.

Data availability

The datasets used and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

CCGB:

Clay-cement grouted body

XRD:

X-ray diffraction

XRF:

X-ray fluorescence

SSCP:

Seepage-stress coupled permeability

NMR:

Nuclear magnetic resonance

SEM:

Surface electron microscope

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.51604195), Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (Grant No. 2018CFC818).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Technology Innovation Center for Groundwater Disaster Prevention and Control Engineering for Metal Mines, Ministry of Natural Resources, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China

    Chai Lujun & Wu Kun

  2. North China Engineering Investigation Institute Co., Ltd, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China

    Chai Lujun & Wu Kun

  3. School of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430081, Hubei, China

    Cheng Aiping

  4. Guangxi Guoxing Rare Earth Mining Co., Ltd, Chongzuo, 532200, Guangxi, China

    Wei Yaoxiang

Authors
  1. Chai Lujun
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  2. Wei Yaoxiang
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  3. Wu Kun
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  4. Cheng Aiping
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Contributions

L.C. and Y.W. wrote the main manuscript text and prepared figures and tables. K.W. is responsible for sorting out the data and materials, and designing the test flow and scheme. A.C. reviewed and edited the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wei Yaoxiang.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Cite this article

Lujun, C., Yaoxiang, W., Kun, W. et al. Permeability evolution and microstructural regulation of clay cement grouted body under coupled seepage and stress conditions. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-39995-2

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  • Received: 02 December 2025

  • Accepted: 09 February 2026

  • Published: 18 February 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-39995-2

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Keywords

  • Seepage-stress coupling
  • Permeability characteristics
  • Mine curtain grouting
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