MIP - Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry
Characterization of porosity, pore size distribution and bulk density by mercury intrusion under pressure.
O que é MIP
How Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry Maps Pore Size Distribution and Density
MIP (Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry) is a technique that forces liquid mercury, a non-wetting fluid for most solids, into a porous sample's pore network under progressively increasing pressure, since a higher pressure is required to intrude progressively smaller pores according to the Washburn equation. By recording the volume of mercury intruded at each pressure step, the technique calculates the sample's pore size distribution across a wide range, typically from about 3 nanometers to several hundred micrometers, along with total pore volume, bulk and skeletal density and porosity. MIP is used to characterize the pore structure of tablets, ceramics, catalysts and other porous solids where pore connectivity and size distribution govern performance.
What sets us apart
We don't hand over a spectrum. We hand over the interpretation.
Any lab can return peaks and numbers. Our report reads the data. Three differences define what we deliver — illustrated below with a real, anonymized case.
Multiple techniques, one integrated report
We don't hand back five loose reports. We cross-reference every technique's results into a single reading — each signal checked against the others — to reach an answer, not a pile of data.
- Contamination investigation — identifying and tracing the source of a foreign species.
- Performance degradation — explaining why a batch behaves outside expectations.
- New supplier validation — proving equivalence before switching.
3 LDPE batches · 4 techniques converge, NMR reveals the difference
In semicrystalline polymer systems, thermomechanical processing variables influence chain conformational dynamics¹. Solid-state NMR resolves chemical environments at the nanometer scale², sensitive to changes not detectable by XRD or FTIR³.
Technical justification anchored in the literature
Every technique choice and every inference in the report is backed by peer-reviewed literature — with citations in the text. The conclusion isn't loose opinion: it's a traceable argument, defensible in an audit and in front of the client.
- Numbered citations linking claim to source
- Official standards and methods referenced per analyte
- Auditable reasoning end to end
Conclusion and expert opinion
The report closes with a clear position, signed by the Principal Investigator: what the data shows, what can't yet be claimed, and the next step. It includes an honest caveat on the limits of inference — what separates a technical opinion from a guess.
- Explicit technical position, not just results
- Inference limits declared honestly
- Next-step recommendation signed by the P.I.
Four techniques confirmed equivalence; only the solid-state NMR revealed the subtle conformational change not distinguishable by conventional QC — a molecular signature consistent with the atypical filtration behavior.
Without the industrial line's parameters, no direct causal correlation can be established — a complementary step is recommended for elucidation.
Aplicações de mercado
Onde a MIP entrega resultados
Market Applications
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MIP)
How does mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) determine pore size?
- MIP forces mercury — a non-wetting liquid that does not spontaneously enter pores — into a sample's pores under progressively increasing pressure. Because smaller pores require higher pressure to be filled, the relationship between applied pressure and mercury volume intruded (via the Washburn equation) yields a full pore size distribution.
What pore size range can MIP characterize?
- MIP typically covers a very wide range, from roughly a few nanometers up to several hundred micrometers, making it well suited to characterizing macropores and larger mesopores in one measurement — a broader single-technique range than gas adsorption (BET), which is generally better suited to smaller mesopores and micropores.
Besides pore size, what else does MIP measure?
- MIP also determines total pore volume, bulk (apparent) density, and — from the intrusion curve — information about pore connectivity and throat size, giving a fairly complete picture of a porous material's internal architecture in a single test.
Is MIP a destructive technique?
- Yes — because mercury is forced into the sample under pressure and the material becomes contaminated with mercury, MIP is considered a destructive technique, and the sample cannot be reused or recovered afterward; mercury-containing waste also requires proper handling and disposal.
When is MIP preferred over BET for pore characterization?
- MIP is preferred when the pores of interest are in the macropore-to-large-mesopore range, when total pore volume and bulk density are needed alongside pore size, or when a very broad size range must be characterized in a single measurement; BET remains the better choice for micropores and fine mesopores, and the two are often used together to cover a material's complete porosity profile.
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