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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
The isothermal sintering behavior of a colloidal gel with a well-characterized pore structure was studied using a newly commissioned in-situ small-angle neutron scattering furnace. The apparatus enables small-angle scattering measurements to be performed on monolithic samples during heat treatment in an oxidizing, reducing, or neutral environment at temperatures up to 1700°C. In-situ, quantitative measurements of the pore size evolution within a gel possessing a bimodal pore size distribution is discussed. Also reported is the in-situ measurement of the gel's surface area evolution which is an important microstructural parameter in understanding the sintering behavior of highly porous materials.