Controlling the porosity of ceramic materials by microwave treatment

Kittikhun Pakdeewanishsukho

Macroporous Ceramic Material (Commercial Water Filter Ceramic) was used as the initial material to be heated by microwave treatment. The compositions of this initial untreated ceramic material are silicon oxide, aluminium oxide, calcium oxide and magnesium oxide. The pore size of the initial ceramic is between macropores (>50 nm) and mesopores (2 nm to 50 nm). Reducing the pore sizes of the ceramic from macropores and mesopores to be the micropores (< 2 nm) by injection different type of mediums, polymers and monomers into the pores of initial ceramic samples by using a saturation vacuum technique, the mediums were water, mineral oil and methanol, polymers which were Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) and Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA), and monomers which were Ethylene Glycol (EG) and Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) to create polymerisation inside the pores then the injected samples were heated directly with Microwave for 30 min and also the injected sample were submerged in the methanol bath during be heated by Microwave for 30 min. SANS/USANS and BET of mediums, polymers and monomers injection into ceramics and heated without methanol bath show no decreasing of pore sizes or improving surface area of pores at Micropores size. The best condition improving surface area of pores from 0.6215 m2/g (the initial sample) to 32.7762 m2/g was the injection EG into ceramic and heating with methanol bath by microwave. EG has very high loss factor value that could adsorb the microwave energy and also the polymerisation of EG inside the pores. The interpretation of BET and SANS/USANS data, the best result that Macrocracks were filled up by PEG formed between ceramics gains, so Micropores could produce.

Controlling the porosity of ceramic materials by microwave treatment

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