Contact probes suitable for hydraulic apoplasm or matric potential determination were processed by ceramic technique. The proposed probe consisted of a porous interface and a glass capillary filled with water and an immiscible fluid. The water conductivity through the interface generates elastic deformation of the fluid and consequent the meniscus dislocation, taken as measurement reference. The porous interface was processed by sintering under flame heating of glass powder following the "filler principle". Powder mixtures of glass and salt (NaCl) in 70-30% and average particle size of 17 µm was used. Adsorption measurements carried out in distilled water show an increasing in capillarity effect in the sensors with the porous bridge, reflecting in an increasing over the meniscus speed movement as measured along the capillary.
porous glass; viscous sintering; sensors; matric potential
