Preparation of mesoporous silica fiber matrix for VOC removal

A novel method for the preparation of the mesoporous silica fiber matrix was introduced for a removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Paper making technology was applied to make a sheet of mesoporous silica fiber matrix. Reinforcing the mesoporous silica fiber with the ceramic fibers (50 wt.%) increased the mechanical strength of the matrix. Mesoporous silica fibers using TMOS (tetramethoxysilane) as a silica source and CTAC (cetyltrimethyl-ammoniumchloride) as a surfactant were drawn by the spinning method. The spinning process increased both the crystallinity and the fraction of mesopores (1.9 nm) of the fiber. As the spinning rate was increased both the crystallinity and the specific area of the mesoporous silica fiber increased, but the diameter of fiber decreased. We could control the size and morphology of mesoporous silica fiber matrix by changing the shape of substrates. This leads to easy fabrication of honeycomb-structured adsorbent which can be used for the VOC removal. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.