Thermophysical Properties of Porous Sandstones: Measurements and Comparative Study of Some Representative Thermal Conductivity Models

The thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of porous consolidated sandstones have been measured simultaneously by the transient-plane source (TPS) technique in the temperature range from 280 to 330K at ambient pressure using air as the saturant. The porosity and density parameters are measured using standard American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) methods at 307 ± 1 K. Data are preseInted for five types of samples ranging in porosity from 8 to 17 vol.%, taken from various positions above the baseline. The thermal conductivity and constituents of the minerals vary with porosity as well as with the position of the sample from the baseline. The thermal conductivity data are discussed in the framework of simple mixing laws and empirical models. Simple correlations between the effective density and porosity, and between the effective thermal conductivity and porosity, are also established.