Skip to main content
Log in

Permeability and the Size Distribution of Pores

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

MANY attempts have been made to find a relation between permeability and other measurable properties of porous materials such as particle-size and porosity. The Kozeny equation, which depends on surface area of particles and porosity, has come into rather general use in fields concerned with flow of water, oil and gases and a considerable literature has developed around it1. Its weaknesses are that it is unsuited to material having a wide range of pore-sizes, and that it makes use of an empirical factor which departs seriously from its accepted value in consolidated materials. Attention has also been given to the possibility of using pore-size instead of particle-properties, and Childs and Collis George2 have developed a permeability equation on this basis. An empirical factor is involved and this has not been widely tested for constancy in different materials.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Carman, P. C., “Flow of Gases through Porous Media” (Butterworth, London, 1956).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  2. Childs, E. C., and Collis-George, N., Proc. Roy. Soc., A, 201, 392 (1950).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Purcell, W. R., Trans. Amer. Inst. Min. Eng., 183, 39 (1949).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Wyllie, M. R. J., and Spangler, M. B., Bull. Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol., 36, 359 (1952).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Day, P. R., and Luthin, J. N., Proc. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer., 20, 443 (1956).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Moore, R. E., Hilgardia, 12, 383 (1939).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Baver, L. D., Proc. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer., 3, 52 (1938).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

MARSHALL, T. Permeability and the Size Distribution of Pores. Nature 180, 664–665 (1957). https://doi.org/10.1038/180664a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/180664a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Navigation