Quantachrome Instruments has published a set of papers addressing aspects of characterising the through-pores in filtration media, both non-woven air filters and porous polymeric membranes.
The technique highlighted is called capillary flow porometry, which involves forcing a wetting fluid through the pores under applied air pressure.
Those industries manufacturing or using such porous media rely on techniques such as this to determine properties such as 'bubble point', mean pore size, air permeability and so on, which have a direct correlation with performance properties.
Uses for porous sheet-like media include indoor air quality, water treatment, breathable fabrics, diapers, drink filter papers and medical devices, for example.
The test device used in the notes is the Porometer 3G, a fully automatic analyser available from Quantachrome Instruments.
