Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are hazardous chemicals present in outdoor and indoor air. They can be odorous and cause human health problems even at very low concentrations. Therefore, regulations on VOC gas emission are becoming stricter every year. Acetaldehyde is a VOC gas that not only has a very stinging smell but can also harm the human body by inhalation. Representative commercial adsorbents are activated carbon and silica gel. These materials feature a large surface area, which is directly related to the number of adsorption sites. In this study, a silica xerogel was synthesized by sol-gel method. The new material was tested for the adsorption of acetaldehyde in a continuous bed system, and its performance was compared to those of commercial silica gel and activated carbon. The physical properties of the samples were studied by BET analysis. Silica xerogel was characterized by XRD, FT-IR, and 29Si MAS NMR. The inlet and outlet concentrations of the VOC gas were measured from adsorption test tubes using a VOC detecting monitor. The synthesized silica xerogel presented a larger surface area and number of functional groups than the commercial silica gel, leading to improved adsorption performance and selectivity.

VOC Adsorption Silica Sol-gel Xerogel Acetaldehyde

Tancrede M, Wilson R, Zeise L, Crouch EC, Atmos. Environ., 21, 2187 (1987)
Shah JJ, Singh HB, Environ. Sci. Technol., 22, 1381 (1988)
The International Programme on Chemical Safety. Environmental Health Criteria 167. Acetaldehyde, World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland (1995).
IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, International Agency for Research on Cancer: Lyon, France, 77, 319 (1999).
Khan FI, Ghoshal AK, J. Loss Prev. Process Ind., 13(6), 527 (2000)
Serrano DP, Calleja G, Botas JA, Gutierrez FJ, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 43(22), 7010 (2004)
Zaitan H, Bianchi D, Achak O, Chafik T, J. Hazard. Mater., 153, 852 (2002)
Butuille JR, Pinnavaia TJ, Catal. Today, 14, 141 (1992)
Pires J, Carvalho AP, Carvalho MB, Microporous Mesoporous Mater., 43, 277 (2001)
Kim KJ, Ahn HG, Microporous Mesoporous Mater., 152, 78 (2012)
Manjare SD, Ghoshal AK, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 45(19), 6563 (2006)
Hernandez MA, Velasco JA, Asomoza M, Solis S, Rojas F, Lara VH, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 43(7), 1779 (2004)
Shi HX, Cui JT, Shen HM, Wu HK, Adv. Mater. Sci. Eng., 2014, 850420 (2014)
Vellingiri K, Szulejko JE, Kumar P, Kwon EE, Kim KH, Deep A, Boukhvalov DW, Brown RJC, Scientific Reports, 6, 27813 (2016)
Pajonk GM, Appl. Catal. A: Gen., 72, 217 (1991)
Cauqui MA, Rodriquez-Izquierdo JM, J. Non-Cryst. Solids, 147/148, 724 (1992)
Schneider M, Maciejewski M, Tschudin S, Wokaun A, Baiker A, J. Catal., 149(2), 326 (1994)
Miller JB, Johnston ST, Ko EI, J. Catal., 150(2), 311 (1994)
Arenas LT, Simm CW, Gushikem Y, Dias SLP, Moro CC, Costa TMH, Benvenutti EV, J. Braz. Chem. Soc., 18, 886 (2007)
Bhavornthanayod C, Rungrojchaiporn T, J. Met. Mater. Miner., 19, 79 (2009)
Brinker CJ, Scherer GW, Sol-gel Science: The Physics and Chemistry of Sol-gel Processing, Academic Press, New York (1990).
Socrates G, Infrared and Raman Characteristic Group Frequencies: Tables and Charts, Third Ed., Wiley (2001).
Gopal NO, Narasimhulu KV, Rao JL, Spectroc. Acta Pt. A-Molec. Biomolec. Spectr., 60, 2441 (2004)
Duran A, Fernandez-Navarro JM, Casariego P, Joglar A, J. Non-Cryst. Solids, 82, 69 (1986)
Bertoluzza A, Fagano M, Morelli MA, Gottardi V, Gugliemi M, J. Non-Cryst. Solids, 48, 117 (1982)
Okubo M, Yamamoto T, Kuroki T, Fukumoto H, IEEE Trans. Ind. Appl., 37, 1505 (2001)
Mo JH, Zhang YP, Xu Q, Lamson JJ, Zhao R, Atmos. Environ., 43, 229 (2009)
Huang WL, Liang KM, Gu SR, Mater. Lett., 46, 136 (2000)
Choi SJ, Park HC, Stevens R, J. Mater. Sci., 39(3), 1037 (2004)