Sub-micrometre particle size characterisation and distribution by mercury penetration

Abstract

The technique of mercury porosimetry is usually regarded as a method for the determination of surface areas and the evaluation of pore size distributions in porous solids. With fine non-porous or microporous materials the initial low-pressure region of a mercury penetration graph can be used to determine the inter-particle spaces or voids in an assembly of discrete particles.

A determination of the particle size and distribution of three powders, in the one micrometre and sub-micrometre size range, has been obtained from mercury porosimetry breakthrough and intrusion pressures. The mercury intrusion particle diameters and distributions are compared with values obtained by gravitational and centrifugal sedimentation methods and electron microscopy counts for particle size measurement.