Objective The objective of the project is the development and the provision of certified pore size reference materials. In particular, the characteristic parameters specific surface area, specific pore volume and pore size and pore volume distribution of meso- and micro-porous solids should be certified by means of gas adsorption and desorption. The certification will result from an intercomparison performed by several laboratories. At present, 13 laboratories from 9 EC countries have confirmed their interest in writing. The background of the project is the demand for certified reference materials for calibration of equipment and for quality control by different branches of industry, such as ceramic industry (high-technology ceramics), pigment industry, building materials industry, pharmaceutical industry, chemical industry (adsorbents, chromatographic separation methods, catalysts, reactive powders) and metallurgical industry/metal-working industry. On the basis of the experience and the practical results of the evaluation of the adsorption and desorption isotherms of temperature-stable silica-alumina, temperature-stable silicagel, special forms of alumina, porous glasses, zeolites and carbon black four possible reference substances will be selected from the candidate pool for intercomparison. Since, for the determination of micropores and mesopores, different models exist, which are used by the equipment producer in different ways (for instance by different selection of constants) the results are only partially comparable. Therefore the intercomparison will be based on a special and uniform procedure through evaluation and interpretation. Additionally, the results obtained by the particular evaluation programmes of the individual laboratories are going to be recorded, evaluated and compared with those which are made by the monitor's software. Thus, objective and comparable data should be obtained, which is expected from the new impulse for the validation of procedures and for the harmonisation of European standards. Besides the certification of the above mentioned properties, the reference materials could be thoroughly characterised by other methods of solids analysis such as, for instance, thermogravimetric analysis, x-ray powder diffraction and electron microscopy. Reference materials of highest quality should thus become available. keywords: standardisation, measurement, testing, reference material, porosity, mesopores, micropores, gasadsorption, certification, intercomparison Fields of science natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwarenatural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistryinorganic compoundsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsmicroscopyelectron microscopynatural scienceschemical sciencescatalysisengineering and technologymaterials engineeringceramics Programme(s) FP4-SMT - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of standards, measurements and testing, 1994-1998 Topic(s) 01 - Measurements for quality European products Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und Materialprüfung EU contribution No data Address 5,Rudower Chaussee 12489 Berlin Germany See on map Total cost No data Participants (2) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Merck KG aA Germany EU contribution No data Address 250,Frankfurter Strasse 250 64271 Darmstadt See on map Total cost No data Micromeritics SA NV Belgium EU contribution No data Address 59,Excelsiorlaan 1930 Zaventem See on map Total cost No data
