Flow characteristics and spinnability of sols prepared from silicon alkoxide solution

Abstract

Structural evolution of the solution of tetraethoxysilane hydrolyzed with [H 2O]/[Si(OC 2H 5) 4] = 2 under acidic condition has been investigated by rheological measurements. It was found that the solution behaves as a Newtonian liquid up to a highly viscous state and shows spinnability before gelation when the evaporation of the solvent is allowed during gelation reaction. On the other hand, the solution behaved as a non-Newtonian liquid in the viscous state, showing no spinnability when the evaporation of the solvent was not allowed during the reaction. It was indicated from the Casson plots that the spinnable solution prepared in the open system has no yield stress up to highly viscous states, whereas the non-spinnable solution prepared in the closed system has a yield stress at viscous states. It was proposed that the increase in viscosity of the open system solution is attributable to the concentration of the sol particles whereas that of the closed system solution is attributable to the formation of the three dimensional network in the solution.