In various embodiments, a method for determining at least one pore-related parameter of a porous structure is provided. The method includes supplying a volatile liquid into a chamber. The method also includes coating a first surface of the porous structure with an evaporation preventing substance. The method further includes placing the coated porous structure within the chamber. The method additionally includes determining an effective mass of the chamber over a period of time. The method also includes determining the at least one pore-related parameter of an uncoated second surface of the coated porous structure based on the effective mass determined. The second surface of the porous structure is opposite the first surface of the porous structure.

An ore volume-based zonal injection method for ionic rare earth includes six steps of ore body data acquisition; ore volume calculation by units; calculation of leaching agent consumption per unit ore volume; calculation of unit ore volume-based zoning range difference; merging of the units into injection zones; and injection.

Systems and methods for profiling a material property are provided. A plurality of measurement devices can be configured to measure at least a portion of the material property. A controller including at least one processor can be in communication with one or more of the plurality of measurement devices. At least one measurement device of the plurality of measurement devices can measure at least one segment of the material property, and at least one additional measurement device of the plurality of measurement devices can measure at least one additional segment of the material property. The at least one segment and the at least one additional segment can be combined to provide at least a partial profile of the material property.

A system and method for surface characterization of a porous solid or powder sample using flowing gas include mass flow controllers configured to deliver a controllable mass flow of a carrier gas and adsorptive gas to vary concentration of the adsorptive gas flowing through at least one measurement channel containing a sample cell. A concentration detector downstream of the sample cell provides a signal indicative of the adsorptive gas concentration to a controller that determines the amount of adsorptive gas adsorbed and/or desorbed to characterize the surface area, pore volume, pore volume distribution, etc. of the sample material. The detector may include a housing, heat exchanger, thermal conductivity detector, and a temperature regulator.

The longitudinal relaxation times (T.sub.1) of water and hydrocarbon inside porous media, such as rock from subsurface formations, behave differently when external magnetic fields vary. A Nuclear Magnetic Relaxation Dispersion (NMRD) profile from Fast Field Cycling Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (FFC-NMR) technique differentiates the type of fluids filling the pores. Different types of pores in a rock sample are filled with different fluids, water and hydrocarbon, and the absolute porosity and the pore size of each type of pores is determined.

In the present invention, a method for determining at least one pore-related parameter of a porous structure is provided. In a preferred embodiment, an enhanced evapoporometry (EP) technique is provided to determine pore size distribution of continuous pores of a porous structure. In this enhanced EP technique, a volatile liquid, such as isopropoyl alcohol or water, is supplied to one side of a porous structure in order to enable the volatile liquid to penetrate and saturate the porous structure through capillary force. Thereafter, an immiscible non-volatile liquid, such as glycerol, mineral oils, silicon oils or hydrophilic ionic liquid, is supplied to the one side of the porous structure. As the volatile liquid evaporates progressively from the filled pores, the emptied pores may be immediately filled by the non-volatile liquid drawn upwards by capillary action. This prevents formation of a t-layer formed from the adsorption of vapour emanating from the volatile liquid that is used to saturate the pores.

The longitudinal relaxation times (T.sub.1) of water and hydrocarbon inside porous media, such as rock from subsurface formations, behave differently when external magnetic fields vary. A Nuclear Magnetic Relaxation Dispersion (NMRD) profile from Fast Field Cycling Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (FFC-NMR) technique differentiates the type of fluids filling the pores. Different types of pores in a rock sample are filled with different fluids, water and hydrocarbon, and the absolute porosity and the pore size of each type of pores is determined.

The longitudinal relaxation times (T.sub.1) of water and hydrocarbon inside porous media, such as rock from subsurface formations, behave differently when external magnetic fields vary. A Nuclear Magnetic Relaxation Dispersion (NMRD) profile from Fast Field Cycling Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (FFC-NMR) technique differentiates the type of fluids filling the pores. Different types of pores in a rock sample are filled with different fluids, water and hydrocarbon, and the absolute porosity and the pore size of each type of pores is determined.

A method for detecting a volatile analyte to class and sort cork stoppers depending on the concentration of the analyte, detection being preformed of concentrations in the order of ng/L (parts per trillion), in a concentrated gas applied to the cork stoppers in close containment. Cork stoppers are conveyed individually or groups to an incubation chamber; air/nitrogen is injected into the incubation chamber, the gas enriched with cork volatile compounds is entrained and carried to the concentration system containing a trap heated by desorption of entraining gas to a detection system recording a signal associated with presence of the analyte, the signal being used for classing the stopper/groups of stoppers; a software receives and compares the signal with a minimum limit, deciding to approve or reject the stopper. A system for implementing this method is described.

A cryogenic temperature controller assembly includes a controller and a thermostatic block that has a chamber for receiving a sample holder therein. The thermostatic block has a heat sink with an exposed surface for exposure to a cryogenic fluid. A heater is disposed intermediate the exposed surface and the chamber. The heater is connected to the controller. A temperature probe is disposed in the thermostatic block. The probe is connected to the controller. The controller regulates the heater based on an actual temperature from the probe to maintain a predetermined set point temperature in the thermostatic block.