Abstract

Critical remarks concerning numerical parameters widely used to characterization of the properties of porous materials are given in the paper. It is shown that discrete form of objects analyzed by computers causes substantial misinterpretations of size and shape of small objects (pore sections), and it leads to inexact evaluation of the porosity parameters and statistics of the examined materials. It is also shown that the non-circularity factor is not a quite reliable parameter characterizing the shape of pores. In Conclusions recommendations for using porosity characteristics, despite their inadequacies, are given.

Keywords: Pores; Porous materials; Porosity characteristics; Discrete geometrical objects