Patent ID: 9618441
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: G01N

Claim:
1. An apparatus for determining pore size in a porous membrane material comprising a microbalance; a test cell for receiving the porous membrane material placed upon the microbalance, wherein the test cell is formed as a diffusion chamber with a top open to atmosphere and a base; the test cell is configured to hold the porous membrane material as a sole covering to an opening in the base and the test cell has a seal structure positioned around a perimeter of the opening in the base and outside a perimeter edge of the porous membrane material and configured to prevent lateral liquid and vapor loss between the porous membrane material and the base of the test cell; a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature within the test cell; and a computing device connected to receive data output from both the microbalance of mass measurements over a period of time and the temperature sensor over the period of time and configured to calculate a pore size of pores in the porous membrane material based upon the data output.