US4718270A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Porosimeter and methods of assessing porosity
Assignee: Beckman Coulter Inc
•
Filing: 1984-05-17
•
Granted: 1988-01-12
•
Expires: 2004-05-17
Abstract
Abstract A porosimeter comprises a gas supply, a gas pressure regulator for the gas supply, a sample holder having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet being connected to the gas pressure regulator, a gas pressure sensor connected to the gas pressure regulator for measuring the pressure of gas supplied to the sample holder, and a gas flow sensor wherein the gas flow sensor is disposed to measure the gas flow between said gas pressure regulator and said sample holder. Both pressure and flow-rate readings are taken directly from the respective sensors to an automatic recorder which draws mechanically the output in the form of a graph, or may feed them to, for example, an integrating computer.
Inventors
- 👤 Bernard Storr
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 20:32
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N15/00; G01N15/08; G01N15/088; G01N15/082
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
A pore size characterizing device comprising: a gas pressure regulator arranged to be connected to receive a gas supply; a sample holder having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet being connected to said gas pressure regulator to receive gas therethrough, said sample holder being constructed to hold a sample pre-wetted with a liquid having characteristics of a perfluorocarbon, including a low surface tension and a low vapour pressure; a gas pressure sensor connected to said sample holder for measuring the differential pressure of gas across the sample; a gas flow sensor connected to measure the gas flow through the sample; and processing means responsive to said sensors for determining pore size characteristics of the sample.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
116 words
A pore size characterizing device comprising: a gas pressure regulator arranged to be connected to receive a gas supply; a sample holder having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet being connected to said gas pressure regulator to receive gas therethrough, said sample holder being constructed to hold a sample pre-wetted with a liquid having characteristics of a perfluorocarbon, including a low surface tension and a low vapour pressure; a gas pressure sensor connected to said sample holder for measuring the differential pressure of gas across the sample; a gas flow sensor connected to measure the gas flow through the sample; and processing means responsive to said sensors for determining pore size characteristics of the sample.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid used to pre-wet the sample is a perfluorocarbon.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A device according to claim 2, wherein the perfluorocarbon liquid has the physical and chemical properties of the liquid sold under the trademark Fluorinert®.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein the liquid used to pre-wet the sample has a low viscosity approximating 2.6 cs.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein the liquid used to pre-wet the sample has a very low reactivity for the material under test.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
149 words
A pore size characterizing device comprising: a gas pressure regulator arranged to be connected to receive a gas supply; a sample holder having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet being connected to said gas pressure regulator to receive gas therethrough, said gas pressure regulator being controlled to regulate the pressure of the gas supplied to the sample holder inlet in a predetermined manner, whereby to provide a known pressure of gas across the sample at a predetermined rate, said sample holder being constructed to hold a sample pre-wetted with a liquid having a low surface tension and a low vapour pressure; a gas pressure sensor connected to said sample holder for measuring the differential pressure of gas across the sample; a gas flow sensor connected to measure the gas flow through the sample; and processing means responsive to said sensors for determining pore size characteristics of the sample.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
149 words
A pore size characterizing device comprising: a gas pressure regulator arranged to be connected to receive a gas supply; a sample holder having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet being connected to said gas pressure regulator to receive gas therethrough, said gas pressure regulator being controlled to regulate the pressure of the gas supplied to the sample holder inlet in a predetermined manner, whereby to provide a known pressure of gas across the sample at a predetermined rate, said sample holder being constructed to hold a sample pre-wetted with a liquid having a low surface tension and a low vapour pressure; a gas pressure sensor connected to said sample holder for measuring the differential pressure of gas across the sample; a gas flow sensor connected to measure the gas flow through the sample; and processing means responsive to said sensors for determining pore size characteristics of the sample.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
A device according to claim 6, wherein gas pressure gauge means is provided to calibrate the output from said gas pressure sensor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
A device according to claim 6, wherein gas flow metering means is provided to calibrate the output from said gas flow sensor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
A device according to claim 8, wherein said gas flow metering means is connected to the outlet of said sample holder.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
A device according to claim 6, wherein said processing means includes a chart recorder.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
179 words
A method of assessing pore size characteristics, comprising: first saturating a sample with a liquid having a low surface tension and a low vapour pressure, placing the sample in the sample holder of a device comprising: a gas pressure regulator arranged to be connected to receive a gas supply; a sample holder having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet being connected to said gas pressure regulator to receive gas therethrough, said sample holder being constructed to hold a sample pre-wetted with said liquid having a low surface tension and a low vapour pressure; a gas pressure sensor connected to said sample holder for measuring the differential pressure of gas across the sample; a gas flow sensor connected to measure the gas flow through the sample; and processing means responsive to said sensors for determining pore size characteristics of the sample; and increasing the pressure of gas supplied to said sample holder until the sample is substantially free of said liquid, then reducing the pressure to a lower value and increasing it again with the sample still in place.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
179 words
A method of assessing pore size characteristics, comprising: first saturating a sample with a liquid having a low surface tension and a low vapour pressure, placing the sample in the sample holder of a device comprising: a gas pressure regulator arranged to be connected to receive a gas supply; a sample holder having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet being connected to said gas pressure regulator to receive gas therethrough, said sample holder being constructed to hold a sample pre-wetted with said liquid having a low surface tension and a low vapour pressure; a gas pressure sensor connected to said sample holder for measuring the differential pressure of gas across the sample; a gas flow sensor connected to measure the gas flow through the sample; and processing means responsive to said sensors for determining pore size characteristics of the sample; and increasing the pressure of gas supplied to said sample holder until the sample is substantially free of said liquid, then reducing the pressure to a lower value and increasing it again with the sample still in place.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 11, wherein the liquid used to saturate the sample is an inert perfluorocarbon fluid.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method according to claim 12, wherein the liquid used has a boiling point of 174° C., a viscosity of 2.6 cs, a vapour pressure at 25° C. of a 1.3 mm Hg and a surface tension at 25° C. of 16 dynes per cm.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
257 words
A method of assessing pore size characteristics, comrising: allowing gas to flow through a device in the absence of any sample; said device comprising: a gas pressure regulator arranged to be connected to receive a gas supply; a sample holder having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet being connected to said gas pressure regulator to receive gas therethrough, said sample holder being constructed to hold a sample pre-wetted with a liquid having a low surface tension and a low vapour pressure; a gas pressure sensor connected to said sample holder for measuring the differential pressure of gas across the sample; a gas flow sensor connected to measure the gas flow through the sample; gas flow metering means provided to calibrate the output from said gas flow sensor; gas pressure gauge means provided to calibrate the output from said gas pressure sensor; and processing means responsive to said sensors for determining pore size characteristics of the sample; said method further comprising: calibrating the output from said sensors using said pressure gauge means and said flow metering means, thereafter isolating said pressure gauge means and said metering means from the gas flow, reducing the gas flow to an initial value, placing a sample saturated in liquid having a low surface tension and a low vapour pressure in said sample holder, increasing the pressure of gas supplied to the sample holder until the sample is substantially free of said liquid, and then reducing the pressure to a lower value and increasing it again with the sample still in place.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
257 words
A method of assessing pore size characteristics, comrising: allowing gas to flow through a device in the absence of any sample; said device comprising: a gas pressure regulator arranged to be connected to receive a gas supply; a sample holder having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet being connected to said gas pressure regulator to receive gas therethrough, said sample holder being constructed to hold a sample pre-wetted with a liquid having a low surface tension and a low vapour pressure; a gas pressure sensor connected to said sample holder for measuring the differential pressure of gas across the sample; a gas flow sensor connected to measure the gas flow through the sample; gas flow metering means provided to calibrate the output from said gas flow sensor; gas pressure gauge means provided to calibrate the output from said gas pressure sensor; and processing means responsive to said sensors for determining pore size characteristics of the sample; said method further comprising: calibrating the output from said sensors using said pressure gauge means and said flow metering means, thereafter isolating said pressure gauge means and said metering means from the gas flow, reducing the gas flow to an initial value, placing a sample saturated in liquid having a low surface tension and a low vapour pressure in said sample holder, increasing the pressure of gas supplied to the sample holder until the sample is substantially free of said liquid, and then reducing the pressure to a lower value and increasing it again with the sample still in place.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
A device according to claim 6, wherein at least one of said gas pressure sensor and said gas flow sensor is connected upstream of said sample holder.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
GB779399A
Cited
DE1063832B
Cited
US2842958A
Cited
GB1219776A
Cited
US3991605A
Cited
US4191046A
Cited
GB2018436A
Cited
US4198853A
Cited
US4198854A
Cited
US4213327A
Cited
US4424707A
Cited
GB2095411A
Cited
US4480463A
Cited
EP0064159A2
Cited
US4506542A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-01-11 | 1991-07-13 | 1992-01-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-01-11 | 1995-07-13 | 1996-01-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-01-11 | 1999-07-13 | 2000-01-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |