Permeability
Permeability is a property of a porous material's ability to allow fluids to pass through it. It is often represented by the (italicized) Greek letter κ (kappa), but can also be expressed in terms of the intrinsic permeability to fluid flow of a porous medium. The permeability of a medium is related to the porosity, but also to the shapes of the pores in the medium and their level of connectedness.
Definition[edit | edit source]
Permeability in fluid mechanics and the Earth sciences (commonly symbolized as κ, or k) is a measure of the ability of a porous material (often, a rock or an unconsolidated material) to allow fluids to pass through it.
Units[edit | edit source]
In the International System of Units (SI), permeability is measured in square meters (m²). A practical unit for permeability is the darcy (D), or more commonly the millidarcy (mD).
Permeability in Earth sciences[edit | edit source]
In Earth sciences, permeability is the measure of the ability of a material (typically, a rock or unconsolidated material) to transmit fluids through it. It is of primary importance in the field of hydrogeology, petroleum geology and geothermal energy.
Permeability in materials science[edit | edit source]
In materials science, permeability is the measure of the ability of a material to support the formation of a magnetic field within itself, otherwise known as distributed inductance in transmission line theory. Hence, it is the degree of magnetization that a material obtains in response to an applied magnetic field.
See also[edit | edit source]
- Hydraulic conductivity
- Permeation
- Permeance
- Permeameter
- Darcy's law
- Intrinsic permeability
- Relative permeability
References[edit | edit source]
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