Abstract
The adsorption of low molecular weight poly(methacrylic acid n-butyl ester) (PBMA) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) on silicas precalcined at 673–1473 K was studied. The changes brought about in the textural properties (total surface area and pore volume distribution) by the adsorption of these polymers were determined.
Adsorption of PBMA and PEG resulted in a decrease in the specific surface area as determined by nitrogen adsorption at 77 K since the fraction of the surface located in the micropores was covered by the polymer. Adsorption of polymers reduced the water adsorption capacities of the silicas, particularly those precalcined at ≤ 1073 K, as a result of a decrease in the number of surface OH groups. Polymer adsorption on the precalcined silicas made the contribution of mesopores more prominent, the changes in the textural properties of the silicas depending on the stage at which the polymer was added during the course of silica preparation.