Characteristic pore sizes and transport in porous media.

Abstract

Analytic calculations of \ensuremath{\Lambda}, a pore-size parameter which characterizes surface effects on transport in porous media, are carried out using two distinct approximations: (1) effective-medium theory and (2) percolation ideas recently applied by Katz and Thompson to the permeability of sedimentary rocks. Our calculations suggest that \ensuremath{\Lambda} may be determined by mercury injection experiments. We also study the phenomenon of electrical surface conduction using both approximations.