Capillary Retention of Liquids in Assemblages of Homogeneous Spheres

Abstract

The pore space in an assemblage of uniform spheres was initially filled with liquid. After very slow drainage the amount of liquid retained by the spheres was experimentally measured. The liquid is retained in the form of rings at the contacts of adjacent spheres. The radii of curvature of the ring surfaces are computed in terms of surface tension, grain radius and pressure drop across the liquid-vapor interface, permitting calculation of the volume retained per sphere contact. The number of contacts per unit volume of spheres is obtained from porosity measurements using the theory developed earlier. Computed and observed data on total volume of retained liquid are in agreement.