A gel-derived mesoporous silica reference material for surface analysis by gas sorption - 2. Durability and stability

The characterisation of novel mesoporous films, spheres, fibres and monoliths requires a new generation of standard materials for textural analysis. The textural characteristics of a mesoporous gel-derived silica monolith, investigated by nitrogen sorption are: specific surface area (165.5 +/- 1.5 m(2) g(-1)), specific pore volume (0.986 +/- 0.020 cm(3) g(-1)) and average pore size (119.2 +/- 2.7 Angstrom). The effects of storage and usage on the textural properties of the gel-silica have been monitored for up to 12 months by nitrogen sorption, Non-parametric statistical analysis indicated that no significant changes in textural features had occurred following either a year of storage or repeated usage. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd and Techna S.r.l. All rights reserved