Modeling of the Kinetics of Confined Nonwetting Flow in a Mesoporous Particle

In this paper a quantitative model of the confined flow in a mesoporous particle has been developed. The particle is initially surrounded by a nonwetting liquid. As the external pressure increases to the critical value such that the capillary effect is overcome, the liquid is forced into the mesopores. The confined inflow in the three-dimensional mesoporous environment is modeled as the effective phase transformation involving nucleation, growth, and coalescence of filled mesopore clusters. The influences of the pore size distribution and the external pressure are analyzed.