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What uses does porous silica glass made by the Vycor process have?
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industrial glass
Examining a superhydrophobic glass surface that resists fog and glare and is self-cleaning.
The Vycor process produces a porous, 96 percent silica structure often referred to as "thirsty" glass. This material has several specialized industrial and chemical applications:
- Catalytic Support: Its high surface area makes it an effective base for catalysts.1
- Molecular Sieve: It is used to selectively separate molecules based on size.1
- Time-Release Capsule: The porous structure allows for the controlled release of substances.1
- Composite Materials: By aspirating polymeric liquids into the pores and allowing them to undergo polymerization, the glass serves as a matrix for glass-polymer composites.1
- Vitreous Silica Substitute: The porous silica can be sintered into a dense state to function as a substitute for vitreous silica.1
While silica gel is also a highly porous form of silica used for moisture removal and thickening, it is prepared through a different chemical process involving the acidification of silicate solutions rather than the phase-separation method used in the Vycor process.12