NONINVASIVE CONFOCAL RAMAN IMAGING OF IMMISCIBLE LIQUIDS IN A POROUS-MEDIUM

The physical properties of a porous medium impregnated by a liquid or vapor are dictated in part by the spatial distribution of these phases within the solid host matrix and by physicochemical interactions at t he solid-liquid-vapor boundaries. We report on a novel 3-D imaging tec hnique based on the high spatial resolution and chemical specificity o f the confocal Raman microscope, which allows for the first time the i n situ study and visualization of these processes. Images showing the topology of immiscible liquids (trichloroethylene-water) in a natural porous sandstone demonstrate the potential of the technique and reveal a rich variety of interfacial phenomena.