Carbosil samples at different carbon concentrations C-C = 0.5-64 wt % were
synthesized by means of pyrolysis of CH2Cl2 at a fumed silica substrate (S-
BET X 300 m(2) g-l) and studied by using IR, TEM, nitrogen adsorption/desor
ption, electrophoresis, and photon correlation spectroscopy. During methyle
ne chloride carbonization, the disordered carbon deposit can form mainly in
the interparticle volume of fractal aggregates of primary silica particles
; therefore, a marked reduction in the pore volume and the specific surface
area is observed with increasing C-C. Changes of the pH(IEP) value and zet
a potential zeta(pH) for the aqueous suspensions of carbosils are relativel
y small with increasing C-C due to the availability of oxidized carbon frag
ments and the silica patches without carbon coverage. The effective diamete
r of particles (aggregates and agglomerates) of X/SiO2 in the aqueous suspe
nsions is larger at X = C than that of mixed oxides at X = TiO2 or GeO2 at
a given concentration of the second X phase.