volummetning

Volummetning is a term used in physics, chemistry and engineering to describe the state in which a defined volume is occupied to its maximal capacity by a single component or phase. In this sense, the volume has reached saturation with respect to the component in question; further input of the same component does not increase the volume occupied and may alter pressure, temperature, or phase relations instead.

In porous media and materials science, volummetning often refers to full saturation of available volume by a liquid or gas. The concept is expressed through a volumetric saturation fraction that represents the portion of the total volume (or pore volume) occupied by the fluid. It is especially relevant for modeling fluid transport, storage, and micromechanical properties.

Measurement and implications: Volummetning can be assessed by displacement methods, gravimetric measurements, or imaging techniques such as X-ray computed tomography. In dynamic systems, approaching volummetning affects permeability, diffusion, and mechanical behavior, because the remaining free volume decreases and transport pathways become constrained.

Terminology and usage: The term is used primarily in Norwegian-language texts and may be encountered in discussions of porous media, storage tanks, and phase-fill processes. It is not universally standardized; synonyms and related concepts include saturation, fill fraction, and volumetric fraction.

See also: Saturation, porosity, volumetric analysis, capillary pressure, porous media.