TECHNOLOGY SUMMARY
Silica (SiO2) fibrous material is a special functional material with unique properties represented by amorphous fiber structure. These silica fibers can adsorb significantly more water than commercially available silicagel of the same mesoporous character. This feature is especially apparent in the range of medium relative humidity (30-70 % RH), which is industrially the most important range for adsorption (in electronics, food, chemical industries, and numerous others). Owing to its porosity the fibrous sorbent can be desorbed for its next use at significantly lower temperature (at least 20°C lower), which has positive effect on the cost figure of the process. High specific surface area and mesoporosity are the main advantages and make the material especially suitable for sorption and catalytic applications. The material can be used as an adsorbent, catalytic carrier, battery electrolyte etc. It is produced by Centrifugal Spinning technology which enables to produce fibers with diameters between 800-1200 nm. Fibers can be delivered in different modifications, either as COTTON or POWDER (after milling that leads to fiber shortening to several microns) and can be produced in large volumes with easy and fast upscaling capacity.
AREA/MATURITY/AWARDS
Primary Application Area: Materials, Chemical
Technology Development Status: Proven Manufacturability
Technology Readiness Level: TRL 5
GOVT/EXTERNAL FUNDING SOURCES
External Funding to Date: The Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, project no. TA 04011557.