The declared objective of this book is to provide an introductory review of the various theoretical and practical aspects of adsorption by powders and porous solids with particular reference to materials of technological importance. The primary aim is to meet the needs of students and non-specialists, who are new to surface science or who wish to use the advanced techniques now available for the determination of surface area, pore size and surface characterization. In addition, a critical account is given of recent work on the adsorptive properties of activated carbons, oxides, clays and zeolites. - Provides a comprehensive treatment of adsorption at both the gas/solid interface and the liquid/solid interface - Includes chapters dealing with experimental methodology and the interpretation of adsorption data obtained with porous oxides, carbons and zeolites - Techniques capture the importance of heterogeneous catalysis, chemical engineering and the production of pigments, cements, agrochemicals, and pharmaceuticals