Conversion of Specific Surface Area units

Basics of Specific Surface

Specific surface, also known as surface area, is a measurement used to determine the amount of surface area a particle has. It can also be used to measure the total physical surface area of a substance, as well as its average surface area, total external surface area, single-point surface area, gaseous surface area, molar surface area, surface area per unit mass, and surface area per unit volume/weight. Depending on the unit of measurement, these values can vary significantly.

History

The concept of measuring surface area dates back to the 19th century, when Charles Frédéric Henri Soret and Charles Bell described the total area a particle has. Later, in the early 20th century, William Henry Perkin and Alexander Findlay corrected Soret and Bell’s measurements and established more exact values for surface areas. The first established unit of measurement for measuring surface area was cm2 per gram, initially developed by Charles Frédéric Henri Soret in 1879. Since the 1950s, surface area measurements have been used for the characterization of aerosol particles, catalysts, and other particles. Other units of surface area measurement have been developed over the past decades and are now widely used.

Uses

Surface area measurements are widely used in many fields, such as in aerosol technology, chemistry, physics, and materials science. In aerosol technology, the measurement of surface area provides information about the degree of dispersion of particles in the air. In materials science and engineering, surface area measurements can be used to study the performance of adsorption materials and catalysts. In chemistry, surface area measurements are used to study the surface properties of solid materials and particles.

Examples of Reference or Record Values

The following are some examples of reference or record values for the different units of measurement for surface area:

• Square meter per kilogram (m²/kg): Variable, depending on the material being measured (common values range from less than 1 m²/kg to over 1000 m²/kg)
• Square centimeter per gram (cm²/g): Variable, depending on the material being measured (common values range from less than 1 cm²/g to over 100000 cm²/g)
• Square foot per pound (ft²/lb): Variable, depending on the material being measured (common values range from less than 0.1 ft²/lb to over 100 ft²/lb)
• Square inch per pound (in²/lb): Variable, depending on the material being measured (common values range from less than 10 in²/lb to over 10000 in²/lb)
• Langmuir (L): Variable, depending on the material being measured (common values range from less than 0.01 L to over 1000 L)
• Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET): Variable, depending on the material being measured (common values range from less than 1 m²/g to over 1000 m²/g)

Converting Units

Converting surface area units involves multiplying or dividing factors before or after the unit. For example, to convert from cm²/g to m²/g, you would divide the current value by 10000. Similarly, to convert from molar surface area to surface area per unit volume/weight, you would multiply by 1000.