New method of synthesis of SiO2 spheres used as raw material for colloidal sol-gel synthesis

摘要

Abstract: In the face of actual advantage of demand over the supply of telecommunication optical fibers especially single mode ones a great significance has, so far unsolved, problem of increasing of production efficiency of these fibers. The method of glass production from gas phase permits to synthesize very high purity glass, but unfortunately is less efficient. High efficiency of production of large products from ultrapure SiO$-2$/ may be obtained owing to colloidal sol-gel method. For this method as starting material colloidal silica of optical fiber purity and of optimal particle size 500 - 1000 nm should be used. Among the possibilities of production of such silica there is one, consisting in synthesis of monodispersive silica spheres by hydrolitycal polycondensation of tetraetoxysilane in basic media. It was proposed by Stober and modified later by Bogush. This paper describes further modification of the mentioned method of synthesis in liquid phase, permitting to increase the efficiency of production of high quality colloidal silica.!4