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| Characterization of Porous Solids and Powders: Surface
Area, Pore Size and Density The surface area of ideal geometric forms can be easily determined by applying convenient mathematical formulae. The only wrinkle is that these perfect cubes and spheres don’t really exist. There is no such thing as a completely smooth surface. When examining materials under a microscope, voids, pores, steps and other imperfections — not to mention atomic or molecular orbitals — become apparent. These irregularities create a roughness that, while imperceptible to the naked eye, makes a significant difference in surface area and renders the conventional equations relatively useless for practical purposes. Dr. Joan Shields, chair of C.W. Post’s chemistry department and president emeritus of the American Chemical Society, teamed with scientists at Quantachrome Instruments to create a professionally useful handbook to help researchers and students alike to address the real-world problems associated with the characterization of solids. Their text discusses gas adsorption (both phisi- and chemisorption), mercury porosimetry and pycnometry methodologies in detail, outlining the experimental and theoretical foundations of these techniques. It also incorporates the latest developments in the fields of materials science and nanotechnology to provide the reader with the most complete arsenal of tools with which to measure surface area, pore size and density. Through the liberal use of graphs, charts and mathematical examples, classical theory is contrasted with microscopic theory and statistical mechanics, including density functional theory and molecular simulation. Sheilds and her collaborators, with their mix of academic credentials and industrial experience, bring a unique perspective to their thorough overview, creating a resource that will no doubt further the study of newly developed porous materials. |
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