Pore Volume and Pore Size Distribution of Cement Samples Measured by a Modified Mercury Intrusion Porosimeter

IMPORTANT PARAMETERS FOR THE CHARACTERISATION OF CEMENT SPECIMENS ARE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND POROSITY. THIS WORK IS CARRIED OUT AT THE ISPRA ESTABLISHMENT OF THE JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE IN THE SCOPE OF THE "RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT" PROGRAMME. A COMMERCIAL MERCURY INTRUSION POROSIMETER WAS MODIFIED IN AN ATTEMPT TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE INSTRUMENT AND TO PROVIDE FAST PROCESSING OF THE RECORDED VALUES: PRESSURE-VOLUME OF PORES. THE DEAD VOLUME OF THE INSTRUMENT WAS REDUCED AND THE POSSIBILITY OF LEAKAGE FROM THE MOVING PARTS ELIMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE MODIFICATION ALLOWS AN IMPROVEMENT OF DATA ACQUISITION THUS INCREASING DATA ACCURACY AND REPRODUCIBILITY. IN ORDER TO TEST THE IMPROVED PERFORMANCE OF THE MODIFIED INSTRUMENT, PHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATIONS OF CEMENT FORMS WERE CARRIED OUT. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES AND RESULTS ARE REPORTED.