Penetration and displacement in capillary systems of limited size

Abstract

The unique features of capillary penetration and displacement in systems of limited size are described. These include the dependence of the criteria and kinetics of penetration and displacement on the curvatures of the liquid reservoirs, the effect of thinness of the porous medium on the extent of penetration (the reexposure effect); and the effect of nonuniformity in the pore size distribution on the kinetics of penetration (the redistribution effect). It is shown that systems of limited size may be characterized by thermodynamic equilibrium states as well as kinetics, which are very different from those associated with large systems.