Use of X-ray micro-computed tomography for the investigation of drying processes in porous media: A review

Drying processes in porous materials and their optimization are of interest in research and in many industrial applications. X-ray micro-computed tomography presents a versatile instrument for the experimental investigation of those processes in three-dimensional on a microscopic level. In this review article, the basic principles of the technique shall be elucidated and an overview of the existing literature shall be given. Published studies performed with laboratory-based tomography setups and at synchrotrons are included alike. Different experimental workflows and their limitations with focus on the investigation of drying processes are considered, as well as the further usability of the obtained data and insights for the validation of analytical models and numerical simulations. The number of publications on this topic has greatly increased in the early 2000s and there is still research demand.