Amorphous silica: Prepared by byproduct microsilica in the ferrosilicon production and applied in amorphous silica-TiO2 composite with favorable pigment properties
Yu Liang, Han Zhang, Hao Ding, Sijia Sun, Yu Wang, Xuefeng Bai, Shu Li
Abstract
In order to improve the output value of microsilica produced during the ferrosilicon production process as well as to reduce pollution, amorphous silica was prepared from microsilica by calcination, alkali leaching and acid precipitation. The relevant parameters were optimized and the relevant mechanism was proposed. The results of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, infrared spectra and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy indicated that the prepared amorphous silica is of high grade (96.06%) and high whiteness (90.2%). It was then used to prepare amorphous silica/TiO2 composite pigment material, which has similar pigment properties with TiO2. Therefore, this study provides a feasible way of producing high purity amorphous silica from the byproduct during the ferrosilicon production process, which not only reduces pollution, but also provides high-value substitute for white pigment.