Academic literature on the topic 'Mercury intrusion porosity'

A mercury porosimeter has been used to measure the intrusion volume of the three types mercury positive lead acid-battery plates. The intrusion volumes were used to calculate the pore diameter, pore volume, pore area, and pore size distribution. The variation of the pore area in positive lead acid-battery plates as well as of the pore volume has the following sequence. Paste positive > Uncured positive > Cured positive

The method of the second intrusion mercury in MIP was used to investigate the pore characteristics of hardened cement paste with w/c ratio 0.23, 0.35 and 0.53, respectively, in order to research the quantitative relationship between transport properties and pore characteristics in cement-based composite materials. The results show the second intrusion mercury could well determine the effective pore structure parameters, and effective porosity accounts for 25% to 50% of total porosity in cement paste. At the same time, the existence of the first and second peak in pore size distribution curves is confirmed by MIP, such as, the first peak in hardened cement paste with water to cement ratio 0.53 is very distinct, however, with the decrease of water to cement ratio, the first peak gradually disappears. The pore diameter corresponding to the first and second peak is critical pore diameter of capillary pore and gel pore, respectively.

Porosity and pore structure are important characteristics of pharmaceutical tablets, since they influence the physical properties, such as mechanical strength, density and disintegration time. This paper is an attempt to investigate the pore structure of four different paracetamol tablets based on mercury porosimetry. The intrusion volumes of mercury were used to calculate the pore diameter, pore volume and pore size distribution. The result obtained indicate that the variation of the pore volume in the tablets followed the sequence:- S.D.I. Iraq? Pharmacare,Dubai-U.A.E.? Bron and Burk(UK) London?Lark Laboratories(India), while the variation of surface area followed the sequence:- S.D.I. Iraq? Lark Laboratories(India)? Pharmacare,Dubai-U.A.E. ? Bron and Burk(UK) London

The objective of the present research is to quantitatively evaluate the compression that can occur during the evaluation of pore-size distribution of cohesive soil using mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). A new experimental procedure was developed that can be routinely used to evaluate the corrections associated with the compressibility for porous solid samples using MIP. The approach used in this study involves performing mercury intrusion tests on dehydrated kaolin samples using freeze-dried and oven-dried techniques, and on identical samples confined by low-porosity latex membranes. Corrections for latex intrusion and issues related to dehydration of samples are addressed. The measured contact angle of mercury with kaolin clay using the sessile drop technique was used in the data reduction. Repeatable test results were obtained throughout the testing program. The procedure for obtaining volume-change behavior under isotropic conditions for a large range of pressures using the mercury porosimeter is also presented for oven-dried samples. Scanning electron micrographs for intruded and compressed specimens are presented along with a discussion on the observed hysteresis in MIP test data. The test results for kaolin samples show substantive initial compression before the occurrence of actual intrusion. This resulted in errors associated with the interpretation of pore sizes with diameters in the range of 0.4-200 µm.Key words: mercury intrusion, clay, compression, correction, pore-size distribution, high pressure.

Pore structure development in Portland cement, fly ash, or/and ferronickel slag (FNS) was investigated using mercury intrusion porosimetry and X-ray CT tomography. The progress of hydration was observed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and compressive strength while durability of concrete was monitored by chloride penetration resistance and chloride profiles. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) results suggested that the blended cement had a higher porosity while lower critical pore size. The major reason to this increased porosity was the formation of meso and micro pores compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). In terms of chloride transport, replaced cement, especially ternary-blended cement had higher resistance to chloride transport and exhibited slightly lower development of compressive strength. X-ray CT tomography shows that the influence of pore structure of ternary-blended cement on the ionic transport was strongly related to the pore connectivity of cement matrix.

High energy requirements and the resulting economic demands due to the production of Portland cement leads to tendency to replace a portion of cement with secondary raw materials or to use other alternative binders. Among the commonly used cements replacements is currently fly ash which is produced during the coal combustion. In this paper the influence of cement/ash ratio in a paste on paste’s porosity is investigated using mercury intrusion porosimetry.

We study the Changling fault depression layer reservoir space type and characteristic of clastic rock reservoirs in the study area, by core observation, thin section analysis, cathodoluminescence analysis, scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion method, and discusses the development of secondary porosity and fracture characteristics and formation mechanism.

We selected, as the objects of our research, lignite from the Beizao Mine, gas coal from the Caiyuan Mine, coking coal from the Xiqu Mine, and anthracite from the Guhanshan Mine. We used the mercury intrusion method and the low-temperature liquid nitrogen adsorption method to analyze the structure and shape of the coal pores and calculated the fractal dimensions of different aperture segments in the coal. The experimental results show that the fractal dimension of the aperture segment of lignite, gas coal, and coking coal with an aperture of greater than or equal to 10 nm, as well as the fractal dimension of the aperture segment of anthracite with an aperture of greater than or equal to 100 nm, can be calculated using the mercury intrusion method; the fractal dimension of the coal pore, with an aperture range between 2.03 nm and 361.14 nm, can be calculated using the liquid nitrogen adsorption method, of which the fractal dimensions bounded by apertures of 10 nm and 100 nm are different. Based on these findings, we defined and calculated the comprehensive fractal dimensions of the coal pores and achieved the unity of fractal dimensions for full apertures of coal pores, thereby facilitating, overall characterization for the heterogeneity of the coal pore structure.

This paper focuses on two experimental methods that give indicators linked to the impregnation level of the yarn / matrix interface, in the case of Textile Reinforced Concrete (TRC). These methods have been tested on three different glass yarns laid in a cementitious matrix, with three different impregnation levels resulting from the manufacturing process. The first method (comparative mercury intrusion porosity test) is based on the evaluation by mercury intrusion porosity of the pores volume associated to the porosity inside and near the yarn. The second method (flow test) consists in measuring the flow rate of water along the yarn, with imposed flow conditions. The physical parameters measured by these two methods are both related to the pore size and to the porosity of the yarn / matrix interface. The results of the two methods are discussed and drawn in parallel to a qualitative characterization of the yarn matrix interface made by scanning electron microscopy. As a result, the connection between the results of the two methods and the SEM characterization is studied. It is shown how these methods can participate to characterize the yarn impregnation. Limitations of the methods are also discussed.

A caracterização de rochas de reservatórios por microtomografia de raios X (MRX) consiste em uma técnica de análise digital para estudar tridimensionalmente microestruturas e formações geológicas. Para materiais geológicos porosos, a distinção do corpo mineral e dos vazios é facilmente realizada devido à diferença de atenuação dos raios X irradiados, fornecendo modelos tridimensionais de tamanho de grão, porosidade e estrutura de poros. Os métodos tradicionais de petrologia, como a microscopia óptica ou a microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV), apresentam menor significância estatística para a área analisada e são limitados à análise bidimensional; assim o MRX apresenta um avanço para as técnicas de caracterização por aquisição e análise digital de imagens. Paralelamente, são conhecidas outras técnicas experimentais para caracterização de porosidade de materiais geológicos por intrusão de fluidos ou envelopamento de partículas. Destas, destaca-se a porosimetria com intrusão de mercúrio que atua no intervalo de poros micro a nanométricos, e possibilita também a determinação da distribuição de tamanho de poros. Este trabalho tem por objetivo determinar a porosidade e densidade de análogos de rocha reservatório pela conjugação de procedimentos de MRX bi e tridimensionais, porosimetria por intrusão de mercúrio e picnometria com gás Hélio. As condições operacionais foram previamente avaliadas até se estabelecer parâmetros capazes de gerar resultados reprodutíveis e com elevada repetitividade. Os resultados demonstram que as melhores correlações foram estabelecidas entre os resultados da porosimetria com mercúrio e microtomografia tridimensional, considerando-se a mesma resolução de tamanho de poro. Apesar dos princípios serem distintos e das comparações serem entre medidas indiretas e análise de imagens digitais, ambas são medidas volumétricas. Na avaliação de continuidade de poros, a correlação entre as determinações bi e tridimensionais revela presença de heterogeneidades. As determinações de densidade por porosimetria com mercúrio e picnometria com gás hélio são congruentes, desde que a quantidade de poros fechados não seja significativa em relação à porosidade total. A microscopia de raios X contribui significativamente para análise digital de rochas reservatório com possibilidade de determinação de porosidade, distribuição de tamanho, morfologia e conectividade de poros. Com a proibição iminente do uso de mercúrio por restrições ambientais, a MRX se torna uma suplente possível para estudos de materiais com porosidades micrométricas, com limitações na detecção poros nanométricos.
Reservoir rock characterization by X-ray microtomography (XRM) consists of a digital analysis to study microstructures and geological formations. The distinction of matrix and voids within the rock sample can be easily carried out due to the attenuation difference of irradiated X-rays, providing three-dimensional models of grain size, porosity and pore structure. Traditional petrology methods, such as optical microscopy or scanning electron microscopy (SEM) presents lower statistical significance for the characterized area and are limited to two-dimensional analysis; therefore, XRM presents an advance for characterization techniques by acquisition and digital image analysis. At the same time, experimental techniques are known for porosity characterization of geological materials by fluid intrusion or particle envelopment. It can be emphasized the mercury intrusion porosimetry acts in the range of micro and nanopores and also allows the analysis of pore size distribution. This study aims to determine porosity and density of reservoir rock analogous by the combination of two and three dimensional XRM procedures, mercury intrusion porosimetry and helium gas pycnometry. Operating parameters were prior evaluated to establish conditions for obtaining reproducible results with high repeatability. The results were assessed individually with subsequent correlations under the same resolution. The results demonstrate that the best correlations were established between mercury porosimetry and three-dimensional microtomography data, considering the same pore size resolution. Although the principles are completely different, and the comparisons refers to indirect measurements and digital image analysis, both considers volumetric measurements. In the evaluation of pore continuity, the correlation between two and three-dimensional determinations reveals the presence of heterogeneities. The density determinations by mercury intrusion porosimetry and pycnometry with helium gas are congruent, as long as the number of closed pores is not significant in relation to the total porosity. X-ray microscopy contributes significantly to reservoir rock digital analysis with the possibility of determining porosity, pore size distribution, morphology and pore connectivity. With the mercury use prohibition by environmental constraints, MRX becomes a possible substitute to characterize materials with micrometric porosities, with limitations in the detection of nanometric pores.

A técnica de estabilização de solos através da incorporação de agentes cimentantes é uma opção eficaz e amplamente utilizada em obras de engenharia geotécnica. Portanto, são relevantes os estudos que contemplam aspectos ainda não bem compreendidos relativos aos efeitos causados pela adição de agentes cimentantes na porosidade dos materiais obtidos e, por consequência, nas propriedades de desempenho destas misturas. Neste sentido, o presente trabalho pretende contribuir no que tange ao conhecimento da estrutura de poros de solos compactados tratados com cal e cimento e sua relação com o comportamento hidráulico destes materiais. Os solos utilizados têm granulometria arenosa e areno-siltosa. As variáveis de controle envolvidas nas análises são os teores dos agentes de cimentação empregados (cal e cimento), densidades de compactação e tempos de cura (para amostras com cal). Para a caracterização dos sistemas de poros empregou-se porosimetria por intrusão de Mercúrio e, de forma complementar, na quantificação das porosidades globais, microtomografia computadorizada de raios x. Um permeâmetro de parede flexível foi utilizado para as determinações das condutividades hidráulicas das amostras estudadas através de ensaios de carga constante. Para as amostras de matriz arenosa pura, os volumes de intrusão indicaram maior refinamento da rede porosa, sob efeito da cimentação, para as condições mais densas de moldagem. Para as amostras de matriz areno-siltosa, ao se variarem as condições de cimentação, e fixando-se o peso específico aparente seco, os volumes intrudidos indicaram o refinamento dos poros quando da adição de cal ou cimento em comparação à condição não cimentada. Com respeito à análise da influência do tempo de cura para as amostras moldadas com cal, os resultados sugeriram que a adição de cal (aos 7 dias de cura) não causou variação da porosidade, comparada à condição sem cimentação, mas aos 28 dias foi possível perceber o aumento da porosidade global e, com o passar do tempo (180 dias) verificou-se a redução da porosidade. O refinamento dos poros se tornou cada vez mais pronunciado conforme a evolução do tempo. Para a matriz arenosa, foi identificado que a adição de cimento e a variação da porosidade de moldagem não implicaram em mudanças mensuráveis no valor da condutividade hidráulica, quando comparadas às condições com e sem cimento. Para as amostras da matriz areno-siltosa, sob diferentes condições analisadas (adição de cal aos diferentes tempos investigados e adição de cimento), foi evidenciado que o peso específico aparente seco de moldagem causou influência significativa sobre a condutividade hidráulica. Foram obtidos bons ajustes para as correlações condutividade hidráulica versus relação porosidade/teor volumétrico do agente cimentante ao se aplicar a potência de 0,032 sobre o parâmetro teor volumétrico do agente cimentante. As curvas obtidas apresentaram relações distintas e sinalizaram aspectos do comportamento do material: aumento da condutividade hidráulica para 28 dias de cura da cal, em relação a 7 dias; para 180 dias e amostras nas condições menos densas, não ocorreu modificação em relação à idade de 28 dias, mas na condição mais densa o parâmetro investigado tornou-se sensível às modificações promovidas por efeitos do tempo de cura; ainda, para as amostras moldadas com cimento, ocorreu redução mais pronunciada da condutividade hidráulica relacionada às condições mais densas de moldagem.
The soil stabilization technique which incorporates cementing agents is an effective alternative and widely used in geotechnical engineering works. Therefore, research on the aspects not well understood related to the effects caused by the addition of cementing agents on the porosity of the obtained materials and, consequently, on the performance properties of cemented blends, are relevant. In this sense, this study aims to contribute improving the knowledge on the pore structure of compacted soils treated with lime and cement, as well as to the relationship between pore structure and the hydraulic behavior of these materials. The used soils have a sandy and sandy-silty grain size distribution. The studied variables involved in the analysis are: the cement and lime contents; compaction density; and curing time (for samples with lime). To characterize the pore systems it was employed the Mercury intrusion porosimetry test and, additionally, in order to quantify the global porosities, it was used x-ray computed microtomography tests. A flexible wall permeameter was used to determinate the hydraulic conductivity of the samples through constant head tests. For sandy samples, the intrusion volumes indicated a more significant reduction of the porous media, under the effect of the cementation, when compacted in denser conditions. For the sandy-silt samples, it was observed that by maintaining the specific dry unit weight constant and by varying the cementation conditions, the intruded volumes indicated a reduction of the pores after the addition of lime or cement compared to the uncemented samples. With regards to the influence of the curing time for samples treated with lime, the results suggested that the addition of lime after 7 days of curing did not cause variation in porosity, compared to condition without cementing additions; however, after 28 days of curing it was observed a slight increase on the overall porosity and, after 180 days of curing, it was observed a reduction of the porosity. The reduction of the pores became more significant with the curing time. Related to the sandy soil, the results indicated that addition of cement to the soil and variations on the molding porosity did not result in measurable changes in the hydraulic conductivity, when compared the conditions with and without cement. For the sandy-silt samples, which were analyzed under different conditions (addition of lime and different curing times, and addition of cement), it was shown that the specific dry unit weight caused significant influence on the hydraulic conductivity. It was observed a satisfactory correlation between hydraulic conductivity and porosity/cementing agent ratio when the volumetric cementing agent content is to the power of 0,032. The obtained curves showed distinct relationships and indicated the following aspects of the material behaviour: the increasing of the hydraulic conductivity after 28 days of curing of the sample with lime, compared to 7 days of curing; after 180 days of curing and under low compaction conditions, it was observed no changes when compared to the samples tested after 28 days of curing; however, in the densest condition the investigated parameter became dependent on the curing time; moreover, for the samples molded with cement, it was observed a more significant reduction of the hydraulic conductivity related to denser molded conditions.

Les matériaux cimentaires ont été retenus afin de composer la barrière ouvragée du site français de stockage des déchets nucléaires en formation géologique profonde. Ce choix se justifie par les capacités physico-chimiques propres aux bétons : les hydrates de la matrice cimentaire (CSH) et le pH de sa solution interstitielle contribuent à la rétention des radionucléides ; d'autre part la compacité de ces matériaux limite le transport d'éléments. Il convient de s'assurer de la pérennité de cette structure pendant une durée au moins égale à celle de la vie des déchets (jusqu'à 100 000 ans). Sa durabilité a été éprouvée par l'évolution des propriétés de transfert en fonction de la décalcification de matériaux cimentaires, altération traduisant le vieillissement de l'ouvrage. Deux modes de dégradation ont ainsi été appliqués tenant compte des différentes interactions physico-chimiques induites par la formation hôte. Le premier, de type statique, a consisté en une décalcification accélérée par le nitrate d'ammonium. Il simule l'altération de la barrière ouvragée par les eaux souterraines. La cinétique de la dégradation a été estimée par le suivi du calcium lixivié et l'avancée du front de dissolution de l'hydroxyde de calcium. Pour évaluer l'impact de la décalcification, les échantillons ont été caractérisés à l'état sain puis dégradé, en terme de microstructure (porosité, distribution porosimétrique) et de propriétés de transfert (diffusivité, perméabilité au gaz et à l'eau). L'influence de la nature du liant (CEM I et CEM V/A) et des granulats (calcaires et siliceux) a été observée en répétant les essais sur différentes formulations de mortiers. A cette occasion, une importante réflexion sur la métrologie de cet essai a été menée. Le deuxième mode de dégradation, dynamique, a été réalisé par un perméamètre environnemental. Il recrée les sollicitations subies par l'ouvrage lors de sa phase de resaturation post-fermeture (pression hydraulique imposée par la couche géologique et exothermicité des déchets). Cet appareillage, basé sur le principe d'une cellule triaxiale, permet de fixer un gradient de pression entre 2 et 10 MPa et une température de 20 à 80°C. La variation de la perméabilité à l'eau en fonction de ces deux paramètres expérimentaux, découplés et couplés, a été mesurée et reliée aux modifications microstructurales des échantillons
Cementitious materials have been selected to compose engineering barrier system (EBS) of the french radioactive waste deep repository, because of concrete physico-chemical properties: the hydrates of the cementitious matrix and the pH of the pore solution contribute to radionuclides retention; furthermore the compactness of these materials limits elements transport. The confinement capacity of the system has to be assessed while a period at least equivalent to waste activity (up to 100. 000 years). His durability was sustained by the evolution of transfer properties in accordance with cementitious materials decalcification, alteration that expresses structure long-term behavior. Then, two degradation modes were carried out, taking into account the different physical and chemical interactions imposed by the host formation. The first mode, a static one, was an accelerated decalcification using nitrate ammonium solution. It replicates EBS alteration dues to underground water. Degradation kinetic was estimated by the amount of calcium leached and the measurement of the calcium hydroxide dissolution front. To evaluate the decalcification impact, samples were characterized before and after degradation in term of microstructure (porosity, pores size distribution) and of transfer properties (diffusivity, gas and water permeability). The influence of cement nature (ordinary Portland cement, blended cement) and aggregates type (lime or siliceous) was observed: experiments were repeated on different mortars mixes. On this occasion, an essential reflection on this test metrology was led. The second mode, a dynamical degradation, was performed with an environmental permeameter. It recreates the EBS solicitations ensured during the resaturation period, distinguished by the hydraulic pressure imposed by the geologic layer and the waste exothermicity. This apparatus, based on triaxial cell functioning, allows to applied on samples pressure drop between 2 and 10 MPa and temperature from 20 to 80°C. Water permeability evolution relating to experimental parameters, uncoupled or coupled, was relied to mortars microstructural modifications

An essential part of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is the gas diffusion layer (GDL), which provides pathways for by-products to be removed from PEMFCs. One of the main properties of GDLs is porosity. The two widely used experimental methods for finding the porosity of GDLs are mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and method of standard porosimetry (MSP). In addition to these methods, the porosity of GDLs can be calculated based on the high resolution 3D images that are acquired using X-ray microtomography (μXCT) as shown in recent studies (e.g., [7,12]). Despite the general success of using μXCT to measure GDL porosity, different porosity values have been reported for similar GDLs. These variations are due to different assumptions made for determining the surface of the sample, and hence, its external dimensions. In this research, current methods used for calculating porosity of GDLs from μXCT images are discussed, and a new surface identification method based on a rolling ball algorithm is introduced. The main advantage of this new method is that variations in surface topology or roughness are taken into account when calculating porosity. The new method is not only applicable to GDLs, but can be applied to characterize a wide range of highly porous media.

Abstract Thermal barrier coatings have been extensively used in several industrial segments. The material used as an insulator in such systems has been partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) plasma sprayed over a metallic bond coat layer. The ceramic layer is usually porous, thus improving insulation properties. The porosity also increases gas permeability and, therefore, reduces oxidation resistance of the coating. Post-treatments have been applied to reduce the open porosity and improve oxidation resistance. In this work thermal barrier coatings were applied on low carbon steel substrates using two sets of bond coat, i.e., metallic and metal-ceramic. The metallic bond coat was NiCrAlY. The metal-ceramic bond coat was a mixture of NiCrAlY and 8% yttria partially stabilized zirconia, which were applied by simultaneous feeding to the plasma torch from two powder feeders. A sol-gel method was employed to impregnate the porous ceramic top coat with alumina or zirconia. The samples in the as-sprayed and post-treated condition were characterized using mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), thermal conductivity. KEY WORDS: Thermal Conductivity, TBCs, Sol-Gel.

Natural polymers continue to provide effective biocompatible scaffolds for use in tissue engineering applications. In some respects, their chemical structure closely mimics that of the extracelluar matrix of biological tissues. Eventhough a wide variety of biopolymers can be used for these applications, no single polymer has been yet found to fulfill all requirements needed in a scaffold material. In an attempt to combine the advantages of two natural polymers, hybrid scaffolds of chitosan/cellulose constructs had been evaluated as candidates for tissue engineering applications. Four groups of hybrid chitosan/cellulose scaffolds were prepared with different cellulose concentrations. The surface and bulk porosities scaffolds have been examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The SEM photographs revealed that all hybrid scaffold groups exhibited an interconnected highly porous structure. Percent porosity and pore volume distribution were evaluated using mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). The scaffolds were mechanically tested to evaluate their compressive strength. The biodegradation rate in lysozyme-containing saline had been also determined over a six week period. The MIP results showed that all scaffolds had percent porosity in excess of 75% and that the percent porosity decreased by increasing the cellulose concentration. The incremental intrusion versus diameter curves revealed that most of the scaffolds porosity occurred in the macro-scale. The compressive strength of the scaffold showed an increase with an increase in the cellulose concentration. However, the biodegradation rate was found to vary inversely with the cellulose content in the hybrid. In order to evaluate the cytocompatibility of the chitosan-based scaffolds, mesenchymal stem cells were statically seeded and their attachment had been evaluated. The results revealed that after three and eight day of seeding, the scaffolds became highly populated with cells. This serves as a clear indicatation that the scaffolds thus investigated promote cell attachment and support cell proliferation and proliferation. Thus, the investigated scaffolds are promising candidates for tissue engineering applications.

Moisture level significantly affects durability of constructions, their thermal performance and quality of indoor air. Since building envelopes are subjected to a moisture gradient, additional ventilation systems are employed to maintain relative humidity on the desired level. Although modern advanced ventilation systems provide sufficient air exchange rate, their wider application is in conflict with sustainability development principles due to high energy demands. Moreover, according to the European legislation related to the Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (European Directives 2002/91/EC and 2010/31/EU), air tightness of building envelopes in order to provide high thermal resistance leads to large moisture loads in building interiors. Among other factors, a high level of relative humidity has negative effect on the work efficiency and health of building inhabitants. A detailed insight into building materials behavior during cyclic moisture loading was accessed within this study. The moisture buffering values of three interior plasters were investigated in order to describe influence of plasters on moderation of indoor environment. Particular materials were loaded according to the NORDTEST protocol by 8/16 h loading schema at 70/30% RH. Here, the excellent moisture buffer classification was obtained for lightweight perlite plaster (PT) with the highest total open porosity. However, contrary to the higher total open porosity of renovation plaster (PS), the core plaster (CP) achieved higher moisture buffer capacity than PS. This discrepancy refers to the influence of the pore size distribution which is, besides the total open porosity, essential for a detailed characterization of moisture buffering potential of building materials. Based on the results of Mercury intrusion porosimetry, a correlation between pore size distribution and moisture buffer value was revealed.