ABSTRACT

Mechanical properties and performance of fired-clay bricks are strictly related to their microstructure and mineralogical composition. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) is a powerful technique for evaluating and quantifying a statistically representative microstructure of heterogeneous materials. SANS-derived parameters allowed retrieve the shape of the pore size distribution, characterising the fractal surface of pores, and suggesting an empirical relationship between surface area per unit volume of pores and firing temperature. SANS has been successfully applied for the evaluation and quantification of voids in solids such as ceramics and archeological objects. SANS could be applied to support the work of conservators dealing with the restoration of cultural heritage objects. The study of the observed anisotropy in terms of polydispersiv- ity or orientational distribution of the pore shapes and sizes might be addressed through the analysis of the anisotropy in the Porod scattering, considering SANS data collected with different orientations of the sample.