Quantachrome's PoreMaster high-pressure intrusion porosimeter has been successfully used for determination of a complete crush-strength distribution of cenospheres and other hollow glass microspheres
Until now, cumbersome hydraulic tests have been the standard method to determine the number of surviving (intact) spheres, or 'floaters', after pressurising in a hydraulic chamber, producing but a single datum point.
The new capability of the PoreMaster not only automates the analysis, but yields hundreds of data points which describe a detailed distribution of crush strengths.
The measurement, up to an applied pressure of 4000 atmospheres (60,000psi) if necessary, is complete in a matter of minutes.
The test is also available as a sample analysis service in Quantachrome's own application laboratory.
Cenospheres are hollow glass microspheres which are the value-added component recovered from fly-ash - itself a valuable byproduct of coal-burning power plants.
Cenospheres are used in lighweight cement- and gypsum-based construction materials.
Synthetic or engineered hollow glass microspheres (glass bubbles) are used in reflective materials for their optical properties, to reduce density in polymers for greater strength-to-weight ratio, in explosives for improved detonation propogation and to lower the density of drilling muds.
The PoreMaster occupies less than 4ft2 of bench space and requires only a standard electrical outlet and dry compressed gas.
The PoreMaster is routinely used throughout the pharmaceutical, ceramic, catalyst and petrochemical industries for pore size determination of porous solids over the range 900 microns down to less than 4nm pore diameter.
