A Study of Free Pore Space Variation in Nanoporous Materials during the Filling/Outflow of a Nonwetting Liquid by Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Analysis

Using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) a nanoporous material–nonwetting liquid system was studied at pressures up to 600 bar. A mixture of heavy and light water was used to reduce the contrast between the material and liquid. The pores filling with liquid with increasing pressure, as well as the liquid outflow (or its absence) with decreasing pressure, were studied. The material pore sizes were determined, and it was shown that the pore size is not smooth.