Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study of the Transition from Bulk- to Surface-Dominated Relaxation of Hydrogen in Micron-Scale Pores

Liu, Yubing; Xu, Chenyu; Zhang, Gong

doi:10.3390/magnetochemistry12060068

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Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study of the Transition from Bulk- to Surface-Dominated Relaxation of Hydrogen in Micron-Scale Pores

by

Yubing Liu

^1,2,†,

Chenyu Xu

^1,2,† and

Gong Zhang

^1,2,*

¹

Key Laboratory of Exploration Technologies for Oil and Gas Resources, Ministry of Education, Yangtze University, Wuhan 430100, China

²

MRTA Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance Technology and Application, Yangtze University, Wuhan 430100, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Magnetochemistry 2026, 12(6), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/magnetochemistry12060068

Submission received: 15 May 2026 / Revised: 7 June 2026 / Accepted: 11 June 2026 / Published: 14 June 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) in the Petroleum Industry and Porous Media)

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Abstract

Understanding the proton relaxation mechanism of hydrogen gas in porous media is critical for underground hydrogen storage. This study investigates the proton relaxation mechanisms of hydrogen gas using variable-pressure NMR experiments on idealized glass bead pack models (6.8–65.9 μm). Results indicate: (1) The proton spin–spin relaxation time (T₂) of bulk H₂ gas is linearly proportional to pressure, confirming the dominance of the spin–rotation (SR) interaction. (2) In pores larger than 16.4 μm, bulk relaxation prevails, rendering the T₂ distribution single-peaked and pore-size independent. (3) Conversely, in 6.8 μm pores, a distinct bimodal T₂ distribution emerges, separating free-gas and surface-dominated components. A theoretical critical pore size (≈11.5 μm) was estimated based on a two-phase exchange model. This work elucidates the fundamental regime transition from bulk- to surface-dominated proton relaxation in micron-scale pores.

Keywords: hydrogen; nuclear magnetic resonance; porous media; relaxation characteristics; occurrence state; pore-size dependence

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MDPI and ACS Style

Liu, Y.; Xu, C.; Zhang, G. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study of the Transition from Bulk- to Surface-Dominated Relaxation of Hydrogen in Micron-Scale Pores. Magnetochemistry 2026, 12, 68. https://doi.org/10.3390/magnetochemistry12060068

AMA Style

Liu Y, Xu C, Zhang G. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study of the Transition from Bulk- to Surface-Dominated Relaxation of Hydrogen in Micron-Scale Pores. Magnetochemistry. 2026; 12(6):68. https://doi.org/10.3390/magnetochemistry12060068

Chicago/Turabian Style

Liu, Yubing, Chenyu Xu, and Gong Zhang. 2026. "Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study of the Transition from Bulk- to Surface-Dominated Relaxation of Hydrogen in Micron-Scale Pores" Magnetochemistry 12, no. 6: 68. https://doi.org/10.3390/magnetochemistry12060068

APA Style

Liu, Y., Xu, C., & Zhang, G. (2026). Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study of the Transition from Bulk- to Surface-Dominated Relaxation of Hydrogen in Micron-Scale Pores. Magnetochemistry, 12(6), 68. https://doi.org/10.3390/magnetochemistry12060068

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study of the Transition from Bulk- to Surface-Dominated Relaxation of Hydrogen in Micron-Scale Pores

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