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Diffusion in Partially Saturated Porous Materials

Published

Author(s)

Nicos Martys

Abstract

The diffusive transport of ions in two classes of porous media was studied as a function of fluid saturation and wetting properties. A lattice Boltzmann method was used to model phase separation of a binary mixture, including wetting effects, in porous media. Diffusive transport is then evaluated in each separate phase. It is found that the degree of saturation of each phase can strongly effect the transport of ions that are limited to diffusing in either the wetting or non-wetting phase. At high saturations, good agreement is found between our estimates of diffusivity and that predicted by the semi-empirical Archie's second law. At lower saturations it is found that Archie's second law breaks down as percolation effects become important.
Citation
Materials and Structures
Volume
32

Keywords

Archie's law, binary mixtures, conductivity, diffusion, lattice Boltzmann, porous media

Citation

Martys, N. (1999), Diffusion in Partially Saturated Porous Materials, Materials and Structures (Accessed April 24, 2024)
Created October 1, 1999, Updated February 19, 2017