An alternative method of silica gel synthesis of Ukrainian raw materials

Abstract

The article conducted a study of the synthesis method of silica gel without the use of mineral acids from Ukrainian raw materials of the Rozhansky deposit. The rational conditions of the hydrothermal dissolution of sand (the process duration and the alkali concentration) were obtained and the main parameters of the gelation of liquid glass with citric acid (concentration of citrate acid, pH of solution, gel formation temperature) were established. It is shown that the stage of gelation occurs by the same laws as with using of mineral acids. A factor experiment was carried out and the optimum temperature parameters of the subsequent heat treatment of the obtained silica gel granules were revealed, which allow to obtain silica gel with porosity at the level of commercial samples. Additionally, investigated specific surface area and average pore radius indicate the promising use of the fine-pore silica gel in catalysis and sorption processes.