Structure and texture analysis of colloidal silica in porous glasses

Porous glasses containing different silica species have been prepared by ac id leaching of a phase-separated sodium borosilicate glass with dissolved s ilica in the alkali-rich berate phase. The structure and texture properties of these materials, composing of a mesoporous system formed by colloidal s ilica inside the original macropores of the porous glass, have been investi gated using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Low Temperature Nitrogen Ad sorption, Mercury Intrusion and Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS). The SA XS curves for these porous glasses have been analyzed applying the theory o f chord length distribution. A good agreement between the results of the po re characterization of the colloidal silica using nitrogen adsorption and S AXS has been found. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.