Pore Structure Analysis of Aerogels
Aerogels are materials with high porosity and large surface areas. Most of their pores are in the range of mesopores, between 2 and 50 nm, and those less than 2 nm and greater than 50 nm are micropores and macropores, respectively (Figure 1). Pore structure is the main property of aerogels and is often directly connected with their final applications such as thermal insulation, biomedical applications, etc. Alfa Chemistry has been dedicated to the study of aerogel pore structure for many years, and we are able to give you professional pore structure analysis services for aerogels.
Figure 1. Pore size classification.
Analysis Methods
Alfa Chemistry provides customers with professional pore structure analysis services for aerogels by using various methods, including but not limited to the following.
Gas sorption is applicable for determining the mean pore size and pore size distribution (PSD) of aerogels, usually as our first choice technique. Briefly, this method involves analyzing a small piece of aerogel sample in a tube through various gases, including nitrogen, argon, krypton, and CO2. Then, an adsorption isotherm is obtained, and from those data, different methods are applied to determine the mean pore size and PSD. First and foremost method is density functional theory (DFT), which can be used to calculate PSD from adsorption isotherms precisely by coupling with Monte Carlo molecular simulations.
Mercury porosimetry is a method for the pore structure analysis of aerogels. Surface area, pore volume, and distributions of pore volume and surface area versus pore size could be determined by this method. In this method, as pressure increases, the mercury penetrates into smaller pores, and the results are then calculated by the Washburn Equation. Mercury porosimetry is the preferred method for analyzing aerogels with macropores.
Where p is the applied pressure in pascals, dp is the pore diameter in meters, σ is the surface tension of mercury in newtons per meter, and θ is the contact angle of mercury on the sample in degrees.
Thermoporometry (TPM) is a thermal-related method to measure pore size and PSD based on the melting point shift of a liquid trapped within a mesopores medium compared to the surrounding free liquid. The liquid in pores will melt at lower temperatures compared to the bulk liquid. TPM has gained a great deal of attention in recent years, especially for determining the PSD of porous materials. The method has its advantages, such as short analysis time, small sample consumption and affordable experiments. It is also very attractive for analyzing materials that are prone to collapse during the drying process.
Our Advantages
- We offer pore structure analysis services for a wide range of aerogels, ranging from pure aerogels to aerogel composites.
- We have reliable analysis methods to ensure the accuracy of pore structure analysis.
- We provide flexible and targeted technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to reduce your time costs.
- We offer a complete analysis report, including method interpretation, data, result files and other information you need.
Service Process
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