The AccuPyc II 1345 Series Pycnometers are fast, fully automatic pycnometers that provide high-speed, high-precision volume measurements and true density calculations on a wide variety of powders, solids, and slurries. After analyses are started with a few keystrokes, data are collected, calculations are performed, and results displayed. A minimal amount of operator attention is required.

Principle of Operation

This technique uses the gas displacement method to measure volume accurately. Inert gases, such as helium or nitrogen, are used as the displacement medium. The sample is sealed in the instrument compartment of known volume,the appropriate inert gas is admitted, and then expanded into another precision internal volume.

Total Density

On an elementary level, the volume of a solid material can be calculated by measuring its length, width, and thickness. However, many materials have within their structure surface irregularities, small fractures, fissures, and pores.

This process is repeated at given pressure intervals until the maximum preselected pressure is reached. Then the pressure can be decreased to provide a desorption isotherm. Each of the resulting equilibrium points [volume adsorbed and equilibrium pressure] is plotted to provide an isotherm.

HPVA II Benefits

Specification

Physical

• Height 88.9 cm (35 in.)
• Width 50.8 cm (20 in.)
• Depth 50.8 cm (20 in.)
• Weight 27.2 kg (60 lbs.)

Electrical

• Voltage 100 – 240 VAC.
• Frequency 50 – 60 Hz.

AutoPore V – Features

Optional Advantages:

• Ability to measure pore diameters from 0.003 to 1100 µm*
• Controlled pressure can increase in increments as fine as 0.05 psi from 0.2 to 50 psia. This allows detailed data to be collected in the macropore region
• High-resolution (sub-microliter) measurement of intrusion/extrusion volumes produces extraordinary precision allowing the Development of tighter sample specifications, improved production processes, and high-quality research data
• Operates in scanning and time- or rate-of-intrusion equilibrated modes
• Real-time diagnostics provide knowledge of an issue before it becomes critical or impairs your analytical results
• Collects extremely high-resolution data; better than 0.1 µL for mercury intrusion and extrusion volume
• Improved linear motion for high-pressure chamber closure

Autopore V – Models

AutoPore V – Accessories

Typical Applications

Pharmaceuticals:

Porosity and surface area play major roles in the purification, processing, blending, tableting, and packaging of pharmaceutical products as well as a drug’s useful shelf life, its dissolution rate, and bio-availability.

Ceramics:

Pore area and porosity affect the curing and bonding of greenware and influence strength, texture, appearance, and density of finished goods

Adsorbents:

Knowledge of pore area, total pore volume, and pore size distribution is important for quality control of industrial adsorbents and in the development of separation processes. Porosity and surface area characteristics determine the selectivity of an adsorbent

Catalyst:

The active surface area and pore structure of catalysts influence production rates. Limiting the pore size allows only molecules of desired sizes to enter and exit, creating a selective catalyst that will produce primarily the desired product.

Aerospace:

Surface area and porosity of heat shields and insulating materials affect weight and function

Fuel Cells:

Fuel cell electrodes require controlled porosity with high surface area to produce adequate power density

Geoscience:

Porosity is important in groundwater hydrology and petroleum exploration because it relates to the quantity of fluid that a structure can contain as well as how much effort will be required to extract it

Filtration:

Pore size, pore volume, pore shape, and pore tortuosity are of interest to filter manufacturers. Often, pore shape has a more direct effect upon filtration than pore size because it strongly correlates with filtration performance and fouling.

Construction Materials:

Diffusion, permeability, and capillary flow play important roles in the degradation processes in concrete, cement, and other construction materials.

Paper:

The porosity of print media coating is important in offset printing where it affects blistering, ink receptivity, and ink holdout

MicroActive Software for AutoPore V

Intelligent, Intuitive, Interactive:

MicroActive software greatly improves the functionality, convenience, diagnostics, and data interpretation that establish the new standard for high-performance results in mercury porosimetry.

Method Wizard:

Build a method through an interactive step-by-step script. Eases method creation and new user introduction to the operation of the AutoPore V.

Mercury Density Calculation:

Unlike competitive systems that use mercury density at ambient temperature only, the AutoPore V automatically measures the actual mercury temperature for accurate density calculations under operation conditions.

User-Defined Reports and Report Options:

You can quickly create custom advanced reports to meet your specific needs using Python scripting. New report options permit automatic report conversion to PDF or spreadsheet formats.

Post-Analysis Parameter Change:

Allows analysis parameters (stem volume, maximum head pressure, pen constant) to be changed or corrected post analysis, eliminating re-running samples due to error.

Enhanced Penetrometer Calibration:

Simplifies penetrometer calibration through automated calculations either volumetrically or gravimetrically.

Diagnostic Dashboard:

Real-time monitoring of critical system components for preventative maintenance and trouble shooting.

Overlay Multiple Runs and Gas Adsorption Data:

MicroActive for AutoPore V provides the ability to overlay up to 20 runs. Included is the option to import pore size distributions from gas adsorption isotherms to provide analysis data in the micro to macropore range in a single report.

Intelligent Data Reporting:

Warnings are supplied automatically when suspect data are collected.

Variety of Available Plots:

Pore volume, pore area, and pore size plots are available as well as the ability to calculate total intrusion volume, total pore (surface) area, median pore diameters, average pore diameters, bulk or envelope density, and apparent (skeletal) density.

Reverberi Method Data Reduction:

Receive information on the distribution of pore shape. The method yields a three-dimensional array of cavity size and throat size vs. volume.

Available Information, Reports and Plots:

• Summary Report
• Cumulative Volume versus Pore size or Pressure
• Incremental Volume versus Pore size or Pressure
• Differential Volume versus Pore size
• Cumulative Area versus Pore size
• Log Differential Volume versus Pore size
• Differential Reference % Volume versus Pore sizeOut of Specification % Volume versus Pressure
• Difference from Reference % Volume
• Differential and Log Differential intrusion
• Material Compressibility
• Density versus Pressure
• Cavity to Throat Size Ratio
• Fractal Dimension
• Reverberi Method for Pore Throat and Pore Cavity
• Pore Network Tortuosity and Material Permeability
• Bulk, Envelope and Skeletal Density
• Mayer-Stowe Particle Size Distribution

Extend and increase your knowledge

• 3Flex permits you to optimize your experimental parameters to gain greater understanding of your material. This is the only available 3-port surface characterization system with the ability to analyze a sample with 3 separate probe gases simultaneously, one on each analysis port, within a single run.

Extend your range of study

• Go beyond micropore and extend your range of resolution to the ultra-microporous level. The advanced engineered design of the 3Flex permits you to acquire accurate results with a resolution to 10-5 mmHg

Application – Activated Carbon

High Resolution, High-throughput Surface Characterization Analyzer

• Recognized as the most advanced instrument in the field for material surface characterization(1), 3Flex has become a crucial tool for providing accurate data to advance the fundamental understanding and theory of the porous, structural character influence in activated carbon performance.

Precise analytical tool for total surface area, extent of micro porosity and pore size distribution determinations

• 3Flex permits you to optimize your ideal, experimental parameters to acquire data important to the understanding of the textural characterization of activated carbon adsorbents and catalyst.Hard seal valves and connections of the 3Flex, permit fast attainment of low pressure, ultra-micropore resolution.

Precise analytical tool for total surface area, extent of micro porosity and pore size distribution determinations

• 3Flex permits you to optimize your ideal, experimental parameters to acquire data important to the understanding of the textural characterization of activated carbon adsorbents and catalyst.Hard seal valves and connections of the 3Flex, permit fast attainment of low pressure, ultra-micropore resolution.

Evaluate the efficiency and effects of chemical or physical activation and impurity content influence

• Break through barriers to turn theory into actual product design. Gain greater understanding of the physiochemical character of your activated carbon after modification and the influence of impurities on performance. Users can conveniently model the textural properties of their materials with MicroActive Software and 3Flex data.Enhanced data exchange with your team transforms experimental results into actionable product understanding and improvement.

Application – MOF

Cutting Edge Gas Adsorption for a New Generation of Materials

First synthesized around the turn of the century, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline solids made up of single or clustered metal ions connected by organic struts or linkers. With controllable, periodic, nano-scaled structure and the largest specific surface areas of any materials known, MOFs show exciting potential for addressing some pressing societal concerns – for fresh water recovery (from air), for example, for highly efficient gas storage, and low energy gas separation. Surface area and porosity are performance-defining in such applications.

Micromeritics is leading the way in shaping the classic techniques of physisorption and chemisorption to generate the data needed to drive the development of MOFs. State-of-the-art technology measures:

Surface area

• To quantify capacity for applications such as gas storage. Increasing surface area maximizes storage capacity enabling the development of low pressure, high volume solutions for toxic gases and/or energy storage.

Commercial interest in MOFs stems from their diversity and tunability, the ability to stitch metals and ligands together to exert control at a molecular level. Gas adsorption is the ‘gold standard’ technique for surface area characterization and is uniquely well-suited to pore characterization for microporous materials such as MOFs. Micromeritics’ systems combine market-leading performance and dependability with the flexibility to switch between physisorption and chemisorption for efficient, advanced MOF characterization.

The strength of surface/molecular interactions: to tailor functionality such as hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity to improve gas separation or catalytic performance.

Porosity

• To optimize pore size to control molecular transport by retaining or excluding specific molecules, to separate one gas from another, for example, or to strip out an impurity.

Application – Zeolite

High Resolution, High-throughput Surface Characterization Analyzer

• Recognized as the most advanced instrument in the field for material surface characterization1, 3Flex has become a crucial tool for producing reliable data to increase the fundamental understanding and theory of microporous and mesoporous structural character in zeolite design and process optimization.

Extend and increase your knowledge in determining optimal kinetics of adsorption through porosity, pore volume, shape and mechanical stability

• 3Flex permits you to optimize your ideal experimental parameters to acquire data for better understanding of the textural characterization of hydrophilic and hydrophobic zeolite catalysts and absorbents. The advanced engineered design of the 3Flex permits you to acquire accurate data with resolution to 10-5mm/Hg.

Turn your ideas into optimized design for volumetric efficiency and active site accessibility

• Gain greater understanding of the characteristics and the diffusion character of the porous structure of your sample.

Users can conveniently model the textural properties of their materials with MicroActive Software and 3Flex data. Enhanced data exchange with your team transforms experimental results into actionable product understanding and improvement.

Gain valuable performance information of adsorption/desorption behavior

• Compare saturation capacities by utilizing water vapor, argon, nitrogen, or a probe of your choice, enabling you to understand structure and its influence to the chemical nature and heterogeneity of the pore walls. 3Flex is the only, available surface characterization system with the ability to analyze a sample with three separate adsorbent gases simultaneously, one on each analysis port, and within a single analysis.

Optimize your production methods to build process-strong zeolite absorbents and catalyst

• With 3Flex you gain valuable data to be utilized in the design and synthesis of zeolites. Utilize the high throughput results ability of the configurable three-port analysis capabilities of the 3Flex, to gain rapid understanding of restrictions or boundaries that may influence or impede your process optimization.

The ASAP 2020 Plus provides maximum versatility over a remarkable range of applications to meet your specific needs.

With more installed instruments in more countries for more users, the ASAP family of products have proven to be the instruments of choice worldwide when researchers require precise, high-quality gas adsorption data.

Advanced Capabilities through Optional Configurations:

• The ASAP 2020 Plus can be configured to your specific needs with the option of upgrading at a later date as your analytical requirements change, maximizing the utility of this instrument and your investment.
• Choose from low surface area, to heated vapor, to micropore capability. Add a cryostat, an external detector, or configure the unit for enhanced chemical resistance when working with aggressive vapors. The ASAP 2020 Plus permits one instrument to accommodate almost any surface characterization need in your lab.

Unique and Innovative Isothermal Jacket Cold Zone Control:

• Isothermal jackets are guaranteed for the life of the instrument and ensure a constant thermal profile along the full length of both the sample and saturation pressure (P0) tubes.

Design Versatility:

• Two independent vacuum systems permit simultaneous preparation of two samples while analyzing another. This maximizes your personnel productivity and your return on time invested.
• Continuous saturation pressure (P0) monitoring and unique Isothermal Jacket Cold Zone Control provide a stable thermal environment for both saturation pressure and adsorption. Spend time on results instead of controlling temperature variations.

The ASAP 2020 Plus is configurable with many optional accessories to meet your specific analytical requirements.

Research grade results in a customer-configurable instrument to meet a wide variety of applications for mesopore, micropore, and low surface area applications

• Programmable two-station degas system for automated SOP sample preparation
• A dedicated P° sensor allows for a faster analysis and provides P° values at the same conditions as the adsorption measurement.
• Six analysis gas inlets with dedicated vapor and helium free-space ports provide greater flexibility and automated selection of pretreatment, backfill, and analysis gases.
• Proven Isothermal Jacket Cold Zone Control provides accurate, reproducible temperature maintenance.
• Long duration and refillable dewar provides virtually unlimited time-of-analysis capability.
• Standard, independent dual vacuum systems (one for analysis, one for sample pretreatment). Also available is an optional, oil-free system.
• Proprietary transducer system provides unequalled stability, fast response, and low hysteresis for improved accuracy and signal to noise improvement.
• Coated monolithic, temperature-controlled, stainless-steel manifold provides non-contaminating, inert surface areas.

Typical ASAP 2020 Plus Applications

Pharmaceuticals:

• Surface area and porosity play major roles in the purification, processing, blending, tableting, and packaging of pharmaceutical products as well as their useful shelf life, dissolution rate, and bio-availability.

Ceramics:

• Surface area and porosity affect the curing and bonding of greenware and influence strength, texture, appearance, and density of finished goods. The surface area of glazes and glass frits affects shrinkage, crazing, and crawling.

Adsorbents:

• Knowledge of surface area, total pore volume, and pore size distribution is important for quality control of industrial adsorbents and in the development of separation processes. Surface area and porosity characteristics affect the selectivity of an adsorbent.

Activated Carbons:

• Surface area and porosity must be optimized within narrow ranges to accomplish gasoline vapor recovery in automobiles, solvent recovery in painting operations, or pollution controls in wastewater management.

Carbon Black:

• The wear lifetime, traction, and performance of tires are related to the surface area of carbon blacks used in their production.

Fuel Cells:

• Fuel cell electrodes require high surface area with controlled porosity to produce optimum power density.

Catalysts:

• The active surface area and pore structure of catalysts influence production rates. Limiting the pore size allows only molecules of desired sizes to enter and exit, creating a selective catalyst that will produce primarily the desired product.

Paints and Coatings:

• The surface area of a pigment or filler influences the gloss, texture, color, color saturation, brightness,solids content, and film adhesion properties. The porosity of a print media coating is important in offset printing where it affects blistering, ink receptivity, and ink holdout.

Projectile Propellant:

• The burn rate of propellants is a function of surface area too high a rate can be dangerous; too low a rate can cause malfunction and inaccuracy.

Medical Implants:

• Controlling the porosity of artificial bone allows it to imitate real bone that the body will accept and allow tissue to be grown around it.

Electronics:

• By selecting high surface area material with carefully designed pore networks, manufacturers of super-capacitors can minimize the use of costly raw materials while providing more exposed surface area for storage of charge.

Cosmetics:

• Surface area is often used by cosmetic manufacturers as a predictor of particle size when agglomeration tendencies of the fine powders make analysis with a particle-sizing instrument difficult.

Aerospace:

• Surface area and porosity of heat shields and insulating materials affect weight and function.

Geoscience:

• Porosity is important in groundwater hydrology and petroleum exploration because it relates to the quantity of fluid that a structure can contain as well as how much effort will be required to extract it.

Nanotubes:

• Nanotube surface area and microporosity are used to predict the capacity of a material to store hydrogen.

More Applications:

• Adhesives
• Alloys
• Abrasives
• Carbonates
• Cements
• Clays
• Detergents
• Fibers
• Films
• Fertilizers
• Filters
• Glass
• Food Additives
• Graphite
• Minerals
• Paper
• Polishing Compounds
• Polymers
• Resins
• Soils and Sediments

MicroActive for ASAP2020 Plus

Interactive Data Reduction Software:

• Micromeritics’ innovative MicroActiv software allows you to interactively evaluate isotherm data. You can easily include or exclude data, fitting the desired range of experimentally acquired data points using interactive, movable calculation bars. The isotherm can be viewed real-time on either a linear or logarithmic scale, available to you under each calculation model.

MicroActive reports for ASAP 2020 Plus Physisorption:

• Isotherm
• BET Surface Area
• Langmuir Surface Area
• t-Plot
• Alpha-S Method
• BJH Adsorption and Desorption
• Dollimore-Heal Adsorption and Desorption
• Temkin and Freundlich
• Horvath-Kawazoe
• MP-Method
• DFT Pore Size and Surface Energy
• Dubinin-Radushkevich
• Dubinin-Astakhov
• User Defined Reports

MicroActive for ASAP 2020 Plus Chemisorption:

MicroActive provides you with direct access and manipulation of chemical adsorption isotherm data. Unified Analysis Conditions for physical and chemical analyses allows you to rapidly develop new methods with a common interface.

Reported Data Include:

• Active Metal Surface Area
• Average Crystallite Size
• Irreversible and Reversible Sorption
• Monolayer Capacity
• Active Metal Dispersion

Data Reduction Features:

• Interaction with adsorption data is direct. By simply moving the calculation bars, the user is immediately updated with new textual properties.
• One-click access to important parameters.
• Interactive data manipulation minimizes the use of dialog boxes and tunneling of dialogs to specify calculation parameters.
• Improved ability to overlay files (up to 25) including mercury intrusion data with a file add-and-subtract feature and data from competitive instruments.
• User-selectable data ranges through the graphic interface allow direct modeling for BET, t-Plot, Langmuir, DFT interpretation, and much more. The MicroActive suite provides an extensive selection of NLDFT models for calculating pore size distributions.
• Report Options editor allows the user to define reports with on-screen previews. Each report has the ability to possess one summary, tabular, and graphical information pane.
• Powerful Python programming language allows you to develop extensions to the standard report available within the ASAP 2020 Plus MicroActive application.

Partnership and Support Network:

• Expertise in application assistance is only a phone call away. Every Micromeritics instrument is backed by a dedicated, knowledgeable staff of experts.
• Responsive worldwide service and technical support provides the needed security and peace of mind for you, our customers, ensuring that your sample and product development pathways continue to progress.
• Referenced in an extensive number of peer-reviewed articles in prestigious journals, your ASAP 2020 will link you to a large and growing community of users.

Optional Cryostat:

• A single-stage cryogenic refrigerator that operates on the Gifford-McMahon refrigeration cycle. It uses helium gas from a helium compressor(s) to offer a wide range of analytical temperatures with milli Kelvin levels of stability.