ABSTRACT
The molecular theory provides a new look at the traditional problems in the theory of adsorption. Analysis of the vapour–liquid stratification curves showed that the current classification, built on the basis of measurements of the adsorption isotherms, needs to be clarified. The position of the boundary between micropores and mesopores is experimentally fixed by the disappearance/appearance of the hysteresis loop in strictly equilibrium measurements of the adsorption–desorption isotherms with a decrease/increase in the pore size. The dependence of the critical temperature of stratification on the pore size is confirmed by all the existing theoretical methods and adsorption measurements. The described features allow analyzing the processes of adsorption in any porous systems, thereby extending the range of practical application of adsorption techniques, in particular adsorption porosimetry. For dynamic processes, using the Kelvin equation in assessing the driving forces for the curvature of the meniscus leads to even larger differences than for the equilibrium characteristics.
