Comprehensive Strategy for Measuring the Specific Surface Area of Alumina Cerium Oxide: Method Analysis and Application Points

In the fields of materials science and industrial applications, alumina (Al₂O₃) and ceria (CeO₂) hold a pivotal position due to their unique properties. Whether as coatings in aerospace for high-temperature and wear resistance, fine polishing powders in the electronics industry, or critical components in chemical catalysts, they play an indispensable role. The specific surface area, being a key indicator for assessing the quality and performance of these materials, demands precise measurement and deep understanding. A larger specific surface area signifies more active sites on the material's surface, significantly enhancing catalytic reaction efficiency and selectivity, thus improving overall catalyst performance. In polishing materials, an appropriate specific surface area ensures good dispersion and suitable hardness of the polishing powder, achieving high material removal rates while ensuring surface smoothness and quality, meeting stringent requirements for surface quality in high-precision components like electronic chips. The gas adsorption method, widely recognized and applied for its high precision, typically uses nitrogen as the adsorbate at extremely low temperatures (such as liquid nitrogen temperature, around -196°C). Nitrogen molecules undergo monolayer adsorption on the material’s surface. By accurately measuring the volume of adsorbed nitrogen at different relative pressures and combining this with the known cross-sectional area of nitrogen on the material’s surface, the specific surface area can be calculated using the BET (Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller) theory formula. This method is particularly suited for alumina and ceria materials with large specific surface areas, providing comprehensive and accurate surface information. It has unique advantages in the detection of porous materials, simultaneously offering detailed data such as pore size distribution.