Porometri

Porometri is the study and measurement of pore structures within porous materials and biological tissues. It seeks to quantify porosity, pore size distribution, pore connectivity, and related transport properties such as permeability and tortuosity. The term is used in several disciplines, and in some contexts is interchangeable with porometry or porometric analysis, though definitions vary by field and method.

Common methods include mercury intrusion porosimetry, gas adsorption techniques (such as nitrogen adsorption with the BET model), capillary flow porometry, and dynamic flow porometry. Imaging-based approaches such as micro-CT and NMR porosimetry provide non-destructive three-dimensional views of pore networks. Each method covers different pore size ranges and involves trade-offs among invasiveness, resolution, speed, and sample preparation. The Washburn equation relates capillary entry pressure to pore throat size in intrusion measurements.

Applications of porometri span materials science, ceramics, polymers, membranes and filters, catalyst supports, soil science, petroleum engineering, and pharmaceuticals (such as tablet porosity). In biology and medicine, porometry concepts help study tissue perfusion and extracellular space, though measurements must be interpreted with care due to biological complexity.

Limitations include uncertainties in translating intrusion data to pore structure, sample damage from invasive methods, and challenges in characterizing pore connectivity and tortuosity. Modern approaches increasingly combine complementary techniques to produce more robust pore-scale models.

See also: porosity, permeability, mercury intrusion porosimetry, BET theory, micro-CT porosimetry.