  Correlation effects arising during liquid infiltration into hydrophobic
porous medium are considered. On the basis of these effects a mechanism of
energy absorption at filling porous medium by nonwetting liquid is suggested.
In accordance with this mechanism, the absorption of mechanical energy is a
result expenditure of energy for the formation of menisci in the pores on the
shell of the infinite cluster and expenditure of energy for the formation of
liquid-porous medium interface in the pores belonging to the infinite cluster
of filled pores. It was found that in dependences on the porosity and,
consequently, in dependences on the number of filled pores neighbors, the
thermal effect of filling can be either positive or negative and the cycle of
infiltration-defiltration can be closed with full outflow of liquid. It can
occur under certain relation between percolation properties of porous medium
and the energy characteristics of the liquid-porous medium interface and the
liquid-gas interface. It is shown that a consecutive account of these
correlation effects and percolation properties of the pores space during
infiltration allow to describe all experimental data under discussion.
