NIST recommended practice guide :

ii Certain commercial entities, equipment, or materials may be identified in this document in order to describe an experimental procedure or concept adequately. Such identification is not intended to imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor is it intended to imply that the entities, materials, or equipment are necessarily the best available for the purpose. iii Foreword NIST SRM 1917 / CRM BAM-P127 (Mercury Porosimetry Standard), consisting of pellets of Al 2 O 3 with a diameter of about 1 mm, was certified in August 2002 as a nanoporous reference material for mercury porosimetry. This reference material was the first jointly produced SRM/CRM of NIST and BAM. To complement this international reference material, NIST and BAM extended their collaboration to develop the present Guide addressing the broader metro-logical aspects of porosity and specific surface area measurements. The Guide examines the practical issues that need to be considered when conducting a measurement or analysis by one of the more commonly used porosimetry techniques, especially the gas adsorption and mercury intrusion methods. The Guide is written for persons who are not necessarily experts in the field, but who do have some basic knowledge and familiarity of the issues involved. Wherever appropriate, references to pertinent national and international standards and other comprehensive sources of information are noted. Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge the comments, suggestions, and careful reading of the manuscript provided by our colleagues Dr. Disclaimer Certain commercial equipment, instruments, or materials may be identified in this paper in order to specify an experimental procedure adequately. Such identification is not intended to imply recommendation or endorsement by either the National Institute of Standards and Technology or the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und-prüfung, nor is it intended to imply that the materials or equipment identified are necessarily the best available for the purpose.