Macroporous glass monoliths prepared from powdered niobium phosphate glass by fast sintering

Macroporous monoliths were prepared by very fast sintering (between 3 and 15 min) of niobophosphate glass powders at low temperature (1018 K) using cellulose as a foaming agent. The porous materials were analyzed by thermal analysis, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction, and further investigated using X-ray microtomography, a non-destructive technique capable of reconstructing three-dimensional models of samples and providing structural measurements. The progression of the porosity of the monoliths depends on the sintering time (3 to 15 min) and the amount (up to 50% in mass) of cellulose used. The macroporous glass monoliths may find application in integrated chemical systems and in filtering processes.