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Gas permeation and microstructure of silica membranes prepared using an organic template approach by sol-gel processing

Conference ·
OSTI ID:462749
;  [1]
  1. Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Advanced Materials Lab.

This paper investigates microporous amorphous silica membranes prepared using an organic template sol-gel approach. The authors find that the introduction of organic methacryloxypropyl ligands results in a reduced average condensation rate and a lower extent of branching that promotes the collapse of the hybrid network upon drying leading to relatively dense hybrid organic-inorganic xerogels and films. Microporous silica xerogels and membranes, prepared by oxidative pyrolysis of the organic templates at 300 C for 5 hours in oxygen, contained pores with constrictions of approximately 0.35 nm in diameter with a very narrow size distribution, as evidenced by single gas permeation measurements of a series of probe molecules.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Laboratory
Sponsoring Organization:
National Science Foundation, Washington, DC (United States); Gas Research Inst., Chicago, IL (United States); Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States); USDOE Morgantown Energy Technology Center, WV (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
OSTI ID:
462749
Report Number(s):
CONF-960401--; ISBN 1-55899-334-7
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English