University of Santo Tomas

CHE 424L:
Faculty of Engineering
Chemical Engineering Laboratory I
Department of Chemical Engineering Pre-Lab Assignment

Name: FRANCISCO, Melwyn V. Date:

Section: P-CHE424L Group No: 4 Instructor:Engr. Rose Mardie Pacia

Experiment C1: Permeability

Using the spaces provided, answer the following questions:

1. Define Permeability as a Unit Operation and give at least three industries in which this operation is
important.
Permeability is the capacity or the measure of ease a rock layer is able to transmit fluid from one point to another.
For the food industry, permeability is important in a way that the permeability of packaging materials to transporting
substances like oxygen and water vapor must be accounted for in the design of the packages in order to protect the
food quality. Another is

2. What is meant by “porosity”? Why is it an important physical property as far as Permeability Operation is
concerned?
Porosity is the ability of the rock layer to hold a fluid.

3. How does the degree of compaction affect the permeability of a packed bed?

4. In which cases is it desirable for a material to have high degree of permeability and in which cases is the
opposite desired? Give practical examples.

5. In this unit operation, what is meant by “effective hydraulic radius” of the porous medium used?