Aging Time Effect on Porous Characteristics of Natural Mud-based Silica Prepared by Hydrothermal-Coprecipitation Route

Abstract

In this present study, we report the influence of aging time on porous characteristics and chemical bonding within structurally related silicates of silica. The silica was well prepared by using a combination of hydrothermal and coprecipitation methods. Local natural mud from Sidoarjo, Indonesia was preferred as a starting material, rather than the expensive commercial ones. The aging time was set at 20, 24, 28, and 32 hours. The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) test revealed that the produced porous silica has a purity of 98.9%. The Fourier Transform of Infra-Red (FTIR) analysis showed that ≡Si-OH and ≡Si-O -Si≡ functional groups were found in the samples. The pores of the silica, after Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) measurement, found to be macropore and mesopore. The prepared silica with different porous characteristics were strongly influenced by the chemical activities during the synthesis, known as syneresis and Ostwald processes.