Application of Small-Angle Neutron Scattering to Study the Filling of Nanoporous Material with a Nonwetting Liquid

The small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) method was used to study the ordered structure of the pores of the MSM-41 powder coated with a layer of a hydrophobic substance. The studies were carried out on the YuMO spectrometer of the IBR-2 reactor (JINR, Dubna). The process of filling and leakage of a nonwetting liquid (heavy water) from nanosized pores of the material with a change in external pressure was studied. For this purpose, a stand and a high-pressure chamber were designed and manufactured, allowing measurements to be carried out using the SANS method in the pressure range of 1–1000 atm. The results obtained show that this technique allows studying the process of filling pores with a nonwetting liquid in nanoporous materials.