Discuss the factors that affect porosity. How porosity is measured in the laboratory? Porosity: Factors Affecting its Measurement

There are many factors that influence the measurement of porosity

A measure of how much material has void space, porosity can be used to determine its physical properties. There are many factors that can affect porosity, including the structure and composition of the material and its type, as well as temperature and pressure. The way the material is manufactured and processed can also affect porosity, including the use and effect of additives and heat/pressure treatments. All of these factors have an impact on porosity and should be considered when measuring porosity at a laboratory (McGill 2016, McGill). An electron microscope is the most popular method to measure porosity in laboratory settings. It can be used to determine the sizes and shapes of pores and voids within the material. Other methods that can measure porosity include X-ray Diffraction, gas Adsorption and gravimetric Analysis. These methods may provide different data about the porosity, and each one can be used. Cont…