Surface analyzer for characterizing surface area and pore size distribution of porous materials

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Adsorbents are commonly used in air and water quality control as well as in gas separation and purification. The capacity and kinetics of an adsorbent to adsorb pollutants and impurities depend on the specific surface area, pore volume, and pore size distribution of the adsorbent. Hence the importance of these microstructural properties when developing and testing novel adsorbents. A Surface Analyzer uses physical adsorption of gases to determine specific surface area, pore volume, and pore size distribution of materials. The instrument's versatility allows for characterizing a wide variety of porous materials and adsorbents such as, activated carbon, coke, coal, concrete, catalysts, carbon nanotubes, zeolites, and polymers, hence the instrument will be an extremely useful tool for our groups as well as to researchers in many engineering and science disciplines at the University of Alberta. Examples of current research projects that necessitate the Surface Analyzer include: 1) developing novel adsorbents for control of organic vapour emissions, purification of natural gas, and carbon capture; 2) converting oil sands coke into a useful adsorbent for the removal of Naphthenic Acids from oil sands process affected tailings water, and 3) characterising the effect of mercury adsorbents in coal-fired power plants fly ash on properties of concrete. These research projects are of strategic importance to Canada because they help reducing the water and air quality impacts of industrial activities such as the oil sands development, provide lower greenhouse gas emissions through more energy efficient natural gas purification, as well as provide a safe disposal for coal-fired power plants fly ash. The requested Surface Analyzer is essential to proceed with these research projects as it will provide input parameters that are required for determining the performance of adsorption and regeneration processes and will allow assessing the effectiveness of the activation or modification of the adsorbent on its structural and adsorption properties, and the potential for using the adsorbent for air and water treatment applications. It is also needed to understand the fundamental surface processes occurring at material interfaces including adsorbents, polymers, and nanomaterials.