Permeability Converter

Convert non-negative intrinsic permeability between m², darcy, millidarcy, cm², and ft² for porous-media, reservoir, and materials workflows.

Convert intrinsic permeability between SI area units and petroleum-focused darcy notation used in reservoir, filtration, and porous-media reporting.

Common presets

Scope

This page converts intrinsic permeability only. It does not convert hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, or flow performance without the relevant fluid and geometry assumptions.

Enter values Provide a non-negative permeability value to compare the supported SI, petroleum, and alternate area units.

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Fluid Properties

Permeability converter: m², darcy, millidarcy, and porous-media units explained

A permeability converter restates the same intrinsic permeability in the unit your reservoir note, groundwater reference, membrane spec, or porous-material workflow expects. The page is intentionally narrow: it covers intrinsic permeability of porous media, not magnetic permeability or hydraulic conductivity.

What intrinsic permeability measures

Intrinsic permeability describes how readily a porous material can transmit fluid because of its pore structure alone. It is commonly written in square metres in SI work and in darcy or millidarcy in petroleum and geoscience contexts.

Changing the unit does not change the rock, core, membrane, or porous medium being described. It only changes the reporting scale used by the source.

K = (k ρ g) / μ

Shows hydraulic conductivity K as related to intrinsic permeability k, fluid density, gravity, and dynamic viscosity.

1 D = 9.869233 × 10⁻13 m²

Links the field-specific darcy unit to the SI area form used by this converter.

1 mD = 10⁻3 D

Shows the common petroleum millidarcy scale.

Why this is not hydraulic conductivity

Hydraulic conductivity depends on the fluid as well as the porous medium. Intrinsic permeability is the material property piece of that relationship.

That distinction matters because a conductivity value can change when fluid viscosity, density, or temperature changes, while intrinsic permeability is defined more narrowly by the medium itself.

Why the page avoids broader permeability claims

Different fields use the word permeability for different quantities. In electromagnetism it refers to magnetic behavior, while in porous-media flow it refers to transport through a material structure.

This page stays with porous-media intrinsic permeability only so the unit conversions remain auditable and domain-correct.

Further reading

Frequently asked questions

Is permeability the same as hydraulic conductivity?

No. Hydraulic conductivity depends on both the porous medium and the fluid. This page converts intrinsic permeability units only.

 What is the difference between darcy and millidarcy?

A millidarcy is one-thousandth of a darcy. Reservoir and core data are often reported in mD because it gives convenient everyday values.

 Does this page convert magnetic permeability?

No. The page is limited to porous-media intrinsic permeability used in flow, reservoir, groundwater, and materials work.

 Can I use this page to estimate flow rate through a core or filter?

Not by itself. Flow rate depends on geometry, pressure gradient, fluid properties, and other factors beyond unit conversion.

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