Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1460988 | Ceramics International | 2014 | 6 Pages |
Mesoporous alumina powders were synthesized by the evaporation induced self assembly (EVIS) method. Aluminum isopropoxidem, aluminum nitrate and Tri-block copolymer (pluronic P123) were used as inorganic precursors and structuring agent in this study. The prepared sols were aged under 94% relative humidity (RH) for different periods of time. The aged samples were calcined at 400 °C for 8 h. The effect of aging time on the pore characteristics was studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nitrogen adsorption–desorption, small and wide angle X-ray diffraction, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results revealed that aging time had a significant impact on the pore size, pore volume, surface area and the degree of pore ordering in the final product. The maximum BET surface area of 307 m2/g and the corresponding pore size of about 4 nm was obtained for the sol aged for two weeks.