Deviation from Archie's law in partially saturated porous media: Wetting film versus disconnectedness of the conducting phase

Bridging scales in disordered porous media by mapping molecular dynamics onto intermittent Brownian motion

Owing to their complex morphology and surface, disordered nanoporous media possess a rich diffusion landscape leading to specific transport phenomena. The unique diffusion mechanisms in such solids stem from restricted pore relocation and ill-defined surface boundaries. While diffusion fundamentals in simple geometries are well-established, fluids in complex materials challenge existing frameworks. Here, we invoke the intermittent surface/pore diffusion formalism to map molecular dynamics onto random walk in disordered media. Our hierarchical strategy allows bridging microscopic/mesoscopic dynamics with parameters obtained from simple laws. The residence and relocation times - t_A, t_B - are shown to derive from pore size d and temperature-rescaled surface interaction ε/k_BT. t_A obeys a transition state theory with a barrier ~ε/k_BT and a prefactor ~10^-12 s corrected for pore diameter d. t_B scales with d which is rationalized through a cutoff in the relocation first passage distribution. This approach provides a formalism to predict any fluid diffusion in complex media using parameters available to simple experiments.

Liquid intrusion and alternative methods for the characterization of macroporous materials (IUPAC Technical Report)

This document deals with the characterization of porous materials having pore widths in the macropore range of 50 nm to 500 μm. In recent years, the development of advanced adsorbents and catalysts (e.g., monoliths having hierarchical pore networks) has brought about a renewed interest in macropore structures. Mercury intrusion–extrusion porosimetry is a well-established method, which is at present the most widely used for determining the macropore size distribution. However, because of the reservations raised by the use of mercury, it is now evident that the principles involved in the application of mercury porosimetry require reappraisal and that alternative methods are worth being listed and evaluated. The reliability of mercury porosimetry is discussed in the first part of the report along with the conditions required for its safe use. Other procedures for macropore size analysis, which are critically examined, include the intrusion of other non-wetting liquids and certain wetting liquids, capillary condensation, liquid permeation, imaging, and image analysis. The statistical reconstruction of porous materials and the use of macroporous reference materials (RMs) are also examined. Finally, the future of macropore analysis is discussed.

From computed microtomography images to resistivity index calculations of heterogeneous carbonates using a dual-porosity pore-network approach: influence of percolation on the electrical transport properties

Standard reservoir evaluations are based on Archie's law relating the average water saturation to the average electrical resistivity by R(ind) = S(w)(-2). However, especially in the case of complex heterogeneous carbonates, deviation from Archie's law is observed and generally attributed to factors affecting the percolation or disconnectedness of the different phases (wetting films, microporosity, macropores) assuring electrical conductance. Pore-network models (PNM's) in combination with high-resolution computed microtomography (μ-CT) constitute a very effective tool to investigate the influence of the geometry and topology of the porous media on the spatial distribution of the conductive phase, and therefore on the shape of the resistivity index curve. An extended version of the classical PNM applicable to dual-porosity systems is presented. It combines the classical pore-network modeling applied on the macroporous space with the macroscopic properties of the microporous phase, supposing that the two pore systems act in parallel. Three-dimensional images provide information on the connectedness of the microporous phase, which is then included in the simulations. Electrical behavior of sandstone and two carbonates presenting distinct resistivity index curves were simulated and compared to measurements. Both Archie and "non-Archie" behavior were correctly reproduced, and the curve shape was explained considering percolation of the different phases.

Continuous-time random-walk model of transport in variably saturated heterogeneous porous media

We propose a unified physical framework for transport in variably saturated porous media. This approach allows fluid flow and solute migration to be treated as ensemble averages of fluid and solute particles, respectively. We consider the cases of homogeneous and heterogeneous porous materials. Within a fractal mobile-immobile continuous time random-walk framework, the heterogeneity will be characterized by algebraically decaying particle retention times. We derive the corresponding (nonlinear) continuum-limit partial differential equations and we compare their solutions to Monte Carlo simulation results. The proposed methodology is fairly general and can be used to track fluid and solutes particles trajectories for a variety of initial and boundary conditions.