Porosity and pore size distribution of different wood types as determined by mercury intrusion porosimetry

Abstract

In this work, densities and porosity parameters are determined on domestic and overseas soft- and hardwoods by application of pycnometric methods and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). Great variability was found in bulk density, porosity and in the specific surface area. According to the pore size distribution, four pore size classes could be distinguished: macropores (radius 58–2 μm and 2–0.5 μm), mesopores (500–80 nm), and micropores (80–1.8 nm). The pore size distribution can vary even in the case of comparable pore volumes. The hardwoods, particularly the European diffuse-porous ones, show a higher amount of micropores, which represent the microvoids or cell wall capillaries. A high cumulative pore volume can also be the result of a high content of micropores with poorer accessibility. The value of the total specific surface area from MIP measurements is, generally, below those values obtained by the water vapour adsorption technique. These results can provide information for further investigations on the sorption behaviour and the fluid intake as technological characteristics in industrial processes of impregnation and penetration of coating materials or adhesives.