Probing porous media with gas diffusion NMR.
We show that gas diffusion nuclear magnetic resonance (GD-NMR) provides a powerful technique for probing the structure of porous media. In random packs of glass beads, using both laser-polarized and thermally polarized xenon gas, we find that GD-NMR can accurately measure the pore space surface-area-to-volume ratio, S/V rho, and the tortuosity, alpha (the latter quantity being directly related to the system's transport properties). We also show that GD-NMR provides a good measure of the tortuosity of sandstone and complex carbonate rocks.
Mair
R W
RW
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
Wong
G P
GP
Hoffmann
D
D
Hurlimann
M D
MD
Patz
S
S
Schwartz
L M
LM
Walsworth
R L
RL
D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000032:analysis*; D002627:Chemistry, Physical / Q000379:methods; D004058:Diffusion; D055593:Geological Phenomena; D005844:Geology; D007834:Lasers; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008280:Magnetics; D005741:Noble Gases / Q000032:analysis*; D010100:Oxygen; D013499:Surface Properties; D014978:Xenon / Q000032:analysis*; D014979:Xenon Isotopes
D005741:Noble Gases; D014979:Xenon Isotopes; D014978:Xenon; D002119:Calcium Carbonate; D010100:Oxygen