Applications of hyperpolarized xenon to the measurement of diffusion in por
ous materials were tested on porous Vycor glass. Ingression of hyperpolariz
ed xenon into Vycor was followed both by measuring the changes in intensity
of adsorbed xenon and by measuring the distribution in a selected slice of
Vycor by NMR imaging. The resulting diffusion coefficients, 2.4 x 10(-8) a
nd 2.2 x 10(-8) m(2)/s, respectively, compared well with each other, as wel
l as with results obtained from pulsed field gradient measurements with the
rmally polarized xenon, 1.9 x 10(-8) m(2)/s. Temperature-dependent measurem
ents were used to derive an activation energy for diffusion of 4.1 kJ/mol.
The experiments with hyperpolarized xenon gave large savings in experimenta
l time.