The deformation of saturated soft porous materials: 1-Addressing the determination of the activation energy for a global effective transfer of fluid through the contact zones during multimode shear/compression

Although not univocally determined by the compressibility and the pore pressure dissipation pattern of the constituents of the materials under deformation, one has for long used the coefficient of compression to compare and predict the behavior of soft saturated materials under compression.Once this coefficient is clearly understood and treated as being a parameter, which cannot be considered independent of rate, time and temperature, for example, one can extract valuable tendencies and eventually control the expression progress based on effective stress to hydraulic pressure ratio.Furthermore, axial and radial drainage situations can be related using such a coefficient, therewith enhancing the prediction of the related solid–liquid separation processes with an emphasis on the influence of the rate of deformation.Based on several examples the present study outlined the above in a way that opens new areas of investigation of the compression of saturated porous materials originated mostly from biological and mineral sources.

► A discussion of the engineering requirements of processes involving solid–liquid separation by expression.
► Providing necessary background regarding the flow dynamics, the energy levels and induced structure modifications.
► With an insight into rate of change of the coefficient of compression vs. time and temperature.
► Breaking an almost virgin ground, in the field of deformation under multi-mode compression of porous saturated materials.