Poroziteti

Poroziteti (porosity) is a property of a material that describes the proportion of its volume that is void space, typically occupied by fluids such as air or water. It is defined as the ratio of pore volume to total bulk volume and is usually expressed as a fraction or percentage. In Albanian-language texts, poroziteti denotes this concept.

Porosity is not the same as permeability; a material can have many pores yet low connectivity, yielding limited fluid flow. Total porosity includes all void spaces, while effective porosity considers only interconnected pores that can transmit fluids. Primary porosity forms during deposition, while secondary porosity develops from fractures, dissolution, or weathering.

Pore structure—such as pore size distribution, shape, and connectivity—controls how fluids move and are stored. In soils, porosity relates to bulk density and particle density through n = 1 − (bulk density / particle density). In rocks, a similar relation estimates storage capacity, while permeability depends on how connected the pores are.

Measurement methods include laboratory techniques such as mercury intrusion porosimetry and gas adsorption, as well as imaging methods like X-ray computed tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance. In the field, porosity is inferred from well-logging tools such as density and neutron porosity logs.

Porosity is a key factor in geology, hydrogeology, petroleum engineering, materials science, and environmental engineering. It determines how much fluid a material can store, how easily fluids can move, and how mechanical properties respond to saturation. Understanding poroziteti helps assess groundwater resources, reservoir quality, and filtration performance.