Water hydration of porous network formed by lamellar clay particles: A low energy TXM tomographic investigation

Predicting the long-term transport of water, ions and solutes in clay–rich media such as clayey rocks or soils is a major environmental issue. In that context the characterization of the evolution of the porous network, i.e., orientation of particles associated to the partial water-filling of the porosity, with evolving relative humidity is still not fully understood. We wish to beneficiate from transmission X-ray Microscopy in the water window in tomographic mode to access to such information. By recording clay particles aggregates at different relative humidity conditions, these experiments and the quantitative treatments of the images obtained should provide key insights for the description of the 3D organization of air, water and solid in unsaturated porous media