LABORATORY SERVICE

Our Laboratory Testing Service is provided on the basis of “Method of Standard Porosimetry”, with a full range of solutions for characterizing your porous materials. We are able to test your materials in real environment temperatures, compressions and different liquids.

The information you will be able to receive about the porous structure of your materials is:

  • Integral and differential distribution of pore volume as a functions of the pore radius within the range from ~1 nm to 3x105 nm;
  • Average pore radius;
  • Specific pore volume (porosity);
  • Specific surface area (in the range from 10-3 to 103 m2/cm3);
  • Distribution of pore surface as a function of the pore radius;
  • Liquid distribution as a function of the values of the free binding energy between sample and liquid (in the range from 10-3 to 104 J/mole);
  • Liquid distribution as a function of the values of the capillary pressure;
  • Differential characteristics of swelling;
  • Different structural properties of multi-component hydrophilic-hydrophobic bodies;
  • Adsorption isotherms;
  • Wetting angle and its dependence on pore radius.

We will provide you with extensive characteristics about your materials.

We offer complete analytical services and assistance in understanding and utilizing the unique information you receive in order to make you materials and devices reach their full potential.

HOW IT WORKS

The amount of liquid in the samples is determined by weighing. As a working liquid, which completely wets practically all materials, hydrocarbons such as: octane, decane, etc. are usually used. Thus the assumption of equal wetting angle is fulfilled. In some cases other liquids are used, e.g. water for investigation of hydrophobic and hydrophilic pores.

The porous standards and the test sample are prepared in the shape of discs with thickness of 0.1-3 mm. They are washed, dried, and weighed. After which they are filled with liquid (under vacuum). The stack of discs is assembled in a clamping device, in which they are tightly compressed together in order to attain a capillary equilibrium. A small portion of the liquid is evaporated from this stack assembly by a flow of a dry inert gas. When a certain amount of liquid is evaporated the stack is allowed to rest for a certain time in order to permit the establishment of a new capillary equilibrium. Subsequently, the stack is disassembled and the samples are weighed. Then the stack is reassembled and all operations are repeated several times until the liquid from the test sample is completely evaporated.

The attainment of capillary equilibrium can be controlled by the use of two standard samples, one of which is placed at the top, open end of the stack (where the liquid evaporates) and the other one at the bottom, closed end of the stack.

Specially synthesized standard samples are comprised of sufficiently high pore volume in the widest range of pores, sizes from less then 0.8 nm till 300 μm that influence the range of the measurements.

The accuracy of MSP is about 1% of the total pore volume. As was shown by special experiments, under suitable conditions the error or the non-reproducibility of MSP is less than 1%. High sensitivity of the MSP(0.05-0.07%) is provided by utilizing a precession electronic balance, which has a sensitivity of 0.0001 g at the maximum weight of 200 g.

To avoid numerous manual operations: multiple assembling and disassembling of the stack, weighing of the individual standards and samples, the Automated Standard Porosimeter (ASP), based on the MSP, was developed. Click the button below to learn more about our Automated Standard Porosimeter.