A Permeability-Porosity Relationship for Surface Deposition

Abstract

The changes to porosity and permeability resulting from surface deposition and early dissolution in an initial rhombohedral array of uniform spheres are calculated. Very rapid decreases of permeability result from early deposition, with 48% reduction predicted in permeability from 8%reduction in porosity. After deposition has caused about a 1%increase in the radii of the spherical array, relative permeability reductions vary approximately as the square of relative changes in porosity. These theoretical results matched with experimental data of Ioti et and shown to be satisfactory in some cases, but for others, a more complex model of the porous medium is needed.