Determination of porosity of different materials by radon diffusion

Pores in the soil, sand and rocks allow water and gases to flow through these media. In this investigation, the porosity of different materials has been determined by diffusing radon gas through these materials. The change in the flux of the gas as a function of distance in the soil and sand has been measured by conducting a separate laboratory experiment for each medium based on the Solid State Nuclear Track Detection (SSNTD) technique. From the experimentally observed nuclear track density, the diffusion length in, and the porosity, of the media have been estimated with the help of an analytical model. The porosity of these materials is found to be in good agreement with the data reported in the literature. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.