Method of determining the surface area of metal powders

摘要

The invention relates to an oxidimetric rapid method for determining the surface area of metal powders and is used for the characterisation or quality control thereof, using, in place of the complicated measurement of the adsorbed inert gas volume, the more rapid and more sensitive determination of the surface oxygen content by activation analysis. The method of the invention is characterised in that a strongly adhering oxide film comprising few atomic layers is produced on the surface of the metal powder under the action of atmospheric oxygen, the excess unbound oxygen is removed after the oxidation is finished by flushing with inert gas, a BET calibration measurement is carried out to determine the specific oxygen covering, the surface oxygen content is determined by activation analysis and the true surface area of the powder is determined therefrom.