A SHORT LITERATURE REVIEW OF MERCURY POROSIMETRY AS A METHOD OF MEASURING PORE-SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS IN POROUS MATERIALS AND A DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE SOURCES OF ERRORS IN THIS METHOD

A REVIEW IS PRESENTED OF THE MERCURY INTRUSION METHOD WHICH IS COMMONLY USED TO CHARACTERIZE A POROUS MATERIAL AS TO ITS PORE-SIZE DISTRIBUTION BY MEANS OF A MERCURY POROSIMETER. THIS DEVICE IS CAPABLE OF GENERATING SUITABLY HIGH PRESSURES AND MEASURING THE VOLUME OF MERCURY TAKEN BY THE PORES. THE VOLUME CHANGES WITH INCREASE MAY BE MEASURED BY THE FOLLOWING WAYS: (1) BY DIRECT VISUAL OBSERVATION THROUGH A WINDOW IN THE PRESSURE VESSEL, (2) REMOTE READ-OUT USING PLATINUM-IRIDIUM RESISTANCE WIRE IN THE DILATOMETER TO RELATE THE CHANGE IN THE RESISTANCE TO THE CHANGE IN VOLUME OF THE DILATOMETER, (3) THE MECHANICAL FOLLOWER THAT MAINTAINS CONTACT WITH THE MERCURY COLUMN AS IT MOVES UP THE DILATOMETER STEM UNDER PRESSURE RELATES THE LINEAR DISTANCE TRAVELED TO THE VOLUME OF MERCURY INTRUDED, (4) A CAPACITANCE BRIDGE TO MEASURE THE CHANGE OF CAPACITANCE BETWEEN THE COLUMN OF MERCURY IN THE DILATOMETER STEM AND AN EXTERNAL SHIELD AROUND THE PENETROMETER WHICH RELATES THIS TO THE VOLUME CHANGE. THE STUDY CONCLUDES THAT THE ABILITY OF THE MERCURY INTRUSION METHOD TO YIELD ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE PORES AND THEIR SHAPE DEPENDS ON THE FOLLOWING FACTORS AND ASSUMPTIONS: (1) COMPRESSIBILITY OF THE SOLID, MERCURY, AND RESIDUAL AIR REMAINING IN THE SAMPLE SPACE, (2) BREAKDOWN OF POROUS MATERIALS UNDER PRESSURE, (3) KINETIC HYSTERESIS OF THE TIME EFFECT, AND THE VOLUME HYSTERESIS OR THE PORE SHAPE EFFECT, (4) ASSUMPTION OF CYLINDRICAL PORE MODEL, (5) ASSUMPTION OF CONSTANT OR A GIVEN VALUE FOR THE SURFACE TENSION OF MERCURY, AND (6) THE ASSUMPTION OF SOME CONSTANT VALUE FOR THE CONTACT ANGLE BETWEEN MERCURY AND THE SOLID. THE MERCURY POROSIMETRY TECHNIQUE CAN ALSO BE USED FOR THE EVALUATION OF PARTICLE SIZE, SURFACE AREA, AND CONTACT ANGLE.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 24, No 3, PP 4A-4H, 4 FIG, 9 TAB, 57 REF
• Authors:
  • Rootare, H M
• Publication Date: 0

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Aminco Lab News, American Instrument Co

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Capacitance; Compressibility; Hysteresis; Kinetics; Measurement; Mechanical failure; Mercury; Particles; Pores; Porosimeters; Porous materials; Pressure; Reviews; Shape; Size; Surface tension; Surfaces; Visual perception; Volume changes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Contact angle; Particle size distribution; Pores; Surface area
• Old TRIS Terms: Breakdown; Particle shapes; Resistance
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00229629
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 15 2004 1:50AM