Silica Fibrous Material for Sorption, Separation, Catalytic and Battery Applications
Silica (SiO2) fibrous material is a special functional material with unique properties represented by amorphous fibre structure. These silica fibres can adsorb significantly more water than commercially available silica gel of the same mesoporous character. This feature is especially apparent in the range of medium relative humidity (30-70% RH), which is industrially the most important range for adsorption (in electronics, food, chemical industries, and numerous others). Owing to its porosity, the fibrous sorbent can be desorbed for its next use at significantly lower temperature (at least 20°C lower), which has a positive effect on the cost figure of the process. High specific surface area and mesoporosity are the main advantages, and make the material especially suitable for sorption and catalytic applications. The material can also be used as an adsorbent, catalytic carrier, battery electrolyte, etc.