Recently, Revil & Florsch proposed a novel mechanistic model based
on the polarization of the Stern layer relating the permeability
of granular media to their spectral induced polarization (SIP) characteristics
based on the formation of polarized cells around individual grains.
To explore the practical validity of this model, we compare it to
pertinent laboratory measurements on samples of quartz sands with
a wide range of granulometric characteristics. In particular, we
measure the hydraulic and SIP characteristics of all samples both
in their loose, non-compacted and compacted states, which might allow
for the detection of polarization processes that are independent
of the grain size. We first verify the underlying grain size/permeability
relationship upon which the model of Revil & Florsch is based and
then proceed to compare the observed and predicted permeability values
for our samples by substituting the grain size characteristics by
corresponding SIP parameters, notably the so-called Cole-Cole time
constant. In doing so, we also asses the quantitative impact of an
observed shift in the Cole-Cole time constant related to textural
variations in the samples and observe that changes related to the
compaction of the samples are not relevant for the corresponding
permeability predictions. We find that the proposed model does indeed
provide an adequate prediction of the overall trend of the observed
permeability values, but underestimates their actual values by approximately
one order-of-magnitude. This discrepancy in turn points to the potential
importance of phenomena, which are currently not accounted for in
the model and which tend to reduce the characteristic size of the
prevailing polarization cells compared to the considered model, such
as, for example, membrane polarization, contacts of double-layers
of neighbouring grains, and incorrect estimation of the size of the
polarized cells because of the irregularity of natural sand grains.