Magnetic resonance imaging of water absorption by highly porous ceramic materials

Abstract

By using the magnetic resonance imaging method the nontrivial character of water absorption was demonstrated for the first time in highly porous ceramic materials. The effect of hygroscopic memory was found out which is that the preferable concentration of absorbed water in certain areas within the sample persists regardless the subsequent sample wetting history. Coating the oxide fibres with fluorine-containing hydrocarbons in supercritical CO2 in order to hydrophobize the material has been shown to affect substantially the water transport within the sample that can be referred to as an effective approach to protect the porous materials from humid environment. The results obtained demonstrate the advantages of the magnetic resonance imaging in studying the water absorption processes and visualization of water pathways in highly porous ceramic materials.