Synchrotron Computed Microtomography of Porous Media: Topology and Transports

Abstract

Computed microtomography is applied to a piece of Fontainebleau sandstone in order to determine the geometrical structure of the pores. The topology of the void space is then derived from the tomographic image of the volume. Permeability and conductivity are computed and found in good agreement with experimental data. Perspectives offered by this new nondestructive method with a potential resolution of the order of one micrometer or less are analyzed.