Pressure-induced infiltration of an epsomite–silica system.

The pressure-induced infiltration of hydrophobic nanoporous silica gel immersed in epsomite solutions or mixed with epsomite crystals is investigated. Owing to the hysteresis of sorption isotherm curves, these systems are energy absorbing. In the liquid system, as the epsomite concentration increases, both the first-cycle infiltration pressure and the system recoverability increase. The energy-absorption properties of the saturated-solution- and the solid-crystal-based systems are quite similar. The experimental data suggests that, while the solid–liquid interfacial energy dominates the infiltration behaviour, the defiltration process is somewhat independent of it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]