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This International Standard specifies the determination of the overall (see Note) specific external and internal surface area of disperse (e.g. nano-powders) or porous solids by measuring the amount of physically adsorbed gas according to the Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) method (see Reference [1]). It takes account of the International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) recommendations of 1984 and 1994 (see References [7][8]).

NOTE For solids exhibiting a chemically heterogeneous surface, e.g. metal-carrying catalysts, the BET method gives the overall surface area, whereas the metallic portion of the surface area can be measured by chemisorption methods.

The BET method is applicable only to adsorption isotherms of type II (disperse, nonporous or macroporous solids) and type IV (mesoporous solids, pore diameter between 2 nm and 50 nm). Inaccessible pores are not detected. The BET method cannot reliably be applied to solids which absorb the measuring gas.

A strategy for specific surface area determination of microporous materials (type I isotherms) is described in Annex C.