Eur. Phys. J. Special Topics 141, 101-105 (2007)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2007-00024-0

Rheology of liquids in nanopores: A study on the capillary rise of water, n-Hexadecane and n-Tetracosane in mesoporous silica

¹ Technische Physik, Universität des Saarlandes, 66041 Saarbrücken, Germany
² Institute for Computer Science, Technical University of Czestochowa, 42220 Czestochowa, Poland

Abstract

We present measurements on the capillary rise of water and two linear alkanes (n-C₁₆H₃₄, n-C₂₄H₅₀) in nanopores of monolithic Vycor glass (mean pore radius 5 nm). Measurements of the mass uptake as a function of time, m(t), are in good agreement with the Lucas–Washburn  –prediction typical of imbibition of liquids into porous hosts. The relative capillary rise velocities of the liquids investigated scale as expected from the bulk fluid parameters.