title: Paramagnetic effects of iron(III) species on nuclear magnetic relaxation of fluid protons in porous media.
abstract: The (1)H NMR spin-lattice relaxation time, T(1), of saturated sands depended on the chemistry of the pore fluid, pore size distribution, and relaxivity of the surface. In the absence of paramagnetic impurities, surface relaxivities of quartz sand and silica gel samples of known porosity and surface area at any pH were lower than any previously reported values. Relaxation rate of the bulk pore fluid increased linearly with increasing Fe(III) concentration and varied with speciation of the ion. With only 0.01% of the silica surface sites occupied by sorbed Fe(III) ions, surface relaxivity increased by an order of magnitude. In addition, low concentrations of Fe(III)-bearing solid phases present as surface coatings or as separate mineral grains increased surface relaxation as much as two orders of magnitude. We believe that observations of relatively constant surface relaxivity in rocks by previous researchers were the result of consistently high surface concentrations of paramagnetic materials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada. bryar@geop.ubc.ca
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Bryar
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Daughney
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Knight
mesh_terms: D005290:Ferric Compounds; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D016062:Porosity; D011791:Quartz; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D005290:Ferric Compounds; D014867:Water; D011791:Quartz; D012822:Silicon Dioxide