A hierarchical structural model for the interpretation of mercury porosimetry and nitrogen sorption

A new model of interpretation for the mercury porosimetry experiment has be en presented. The void space of a porous solid is modeled by separate repre sentations of both the macroscopic (>10 mu m) and the mesoscopic (<10 mu m) length scale properties of the material. Complementary information from ni trogen adsorption, on the mesoscopic scale, and NMR imaging, on the macrosc opic scale, is used in conjunction with the mercury porosimetry data to pro vide a more accurate structural representation of a porous medium. The mode l is therefore able to probe spatial geometric changes in pellet structural architecture over many length scales during processes such as catalyst man ufacture and the deactivation of catalysts by coke deposition. (C) 2000 Aca demic Press.