Advancements in Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry for Pore Structure Analysis of Cement-based Materials

Abstract

MIP remains indispensable for pore structure analysis due to its precision and broad measurement range. However, its integration with XCT represents a breakthrough, offering a holistic view of cement-based materials' porosity. In the determination of pore characteristics of porous materials, mercury pressure method can measure pore size up to 5 orders of magnitude, with a minimum of about 2 nm and a maximum pore size of hundreds of microns. Combining MIP and XCT overcomes the individual limitations of each technique, providing an unprecedented, multi-scale, and 3D view of the pore structure. This leads to significantly more accurate microstructure-property relationships, enabling better durability prediction, material design, and fundamental understanding of cement-based materials. into exploring pore distribution patterns within cement-based porous matrices.  Future research should focus on minimizing pressure-induced artifacts and refining combined methodologies to further advance microstructure characterization and application-oriented material optimization.