Adsorption of water vapor on silica gel, modified by the presorption of dibutyl phthalate

Abstract

1. A method was developed for the physical modification of silica gel using dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and the subsequent sorption of water vapor. 2. The silica gel surface has at least two types of sections, differing in their hydrophilicity. Water displaces DBP from the most hydrophilic sections (presumably of a silanol nature), representing approximately 2/3 of the entire surface. 3. In the capillary condensation of water the bulk displacement of the DBP from the silica gel pores begins at a relative pressure of p/ps ≈ 0.975.