Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A comparative study of different amorphous and paracrystalline silica by NMR and SEM/EDS

  • Published:
Journal of Wuhan University of Technology-Mater. Sci. Ed. Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This work aimed to research the structure models of amorphous materials. Five amorphous and paracrystalline samples (natural or artificial) were investigated via 29Si/27Al nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and field emission scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (FE-SEM/EDS). The results of NMR showed the resonances of different specimens: -93.2 ppm, -101.8 ppm, -111.8 ppm for natural pozzolana opal shale (POS). These peaks were assigned to the Q2(2OH), Q3(OH)/Q4(1Al) and Q4 respectively. The results of 27Al MAS NMR indicated that Al substituted for Si site in tetrahedral existing in the POS, while the Al/Si atomic ratio in opal was low (around 0.04). For the alkali-silicate-hydrate gel, there were at least three resolved signals assigned to Q0 and Q1, respectively. For the fused silica glass powder, there were the primary signals centered about at the range from -107 to -137 ppm, which were assigned to Q4 units. In addition, the peaks at around -98 and -108 ppm were corresponding to Q3(1OH) and Q4 units existing in aerogel silica structure.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Jones J B, Sanders J V, Segnit E R. Structure of Opal[J]. Nature, 1964, 204: 990–991

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Akitt J W, Greenwood N N, Lester G D. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Raman Studies of the Aluminium Complexes formed in Aqueous Solutions of Aluminium Salts containing Phosphoric Acid and Fluoride Ions[J]. Journal of chemical society(A), 1971: 2450–2457

    Google Scholar 

  3. Wang L J, Zhao S Y. Synthesis and Characteristics of Mesoporous Silica Aerogels with One-step Solvent Exchange/Surface Modification[J]. Journal of Wuhan University of Technolotgy-Mater. Sci. Ed., 2009, 24(4): 613–618

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Kureti S, Weisweiler W. A Novel Sol-gel Method for the Synthesis of c-Aluminium Oxide: Development of the Sol-gel Transformation and Characterization of the Xerogel[J]. Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids., 2002, 303(2): 253–261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Ren L F. The Discovery and Research of Light Shale Compose of Cristobalite and Tridymite[J]. Bulletin of the Chinese Ceramic Society., 1982 (2): 13–17

    Google Scholar 

  6. Liu Y, Zheng SL, Du GX, et al. Photocatalytic Degradation Property of Nano-TiO2/Diatonite for Rodamine B Dye Wastewater[J]. International Journal of Modern Physics B, 2009, 23: 1683–1688

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Zheng S L, Bai C H, Gao R Q. Preparation and Photocatalytic Property of TiO2/Diatomite-based Porous Ceramics Composite Materials[J]. International Journal of Photoenergy, 2012, 10:1–4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Sun Z M, Bai C H, Zheng S L, et al. A Comparative Study of Different Porous Amorphous Silica Minerals Supported TiO2 Catalysts[J]. Applied Catalysis A: General. 2013, 458: 103–110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Jones J B, Segnit E R. The Nature of Opal I. Nomenclature and Constituent Phases[J]. Journal of the Geological Society Society of Australia, 1971, 18:57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Graetsch H, Gies H I, Topalovi. NMR, XRD and IR Study on Microcrystalline Opals[J]. Phys. Chem. Minerals, 1994, 21(3): 166–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Onal M, Kahraman S, Sarikaya Y. Differentiation of a-Crisrobalite from Opals in Bentonites fromTurkry[J]. Applied Clay Science, 2007, 35: 25–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Langer K, Flörke O W. Near Infrared Absorption Spectra(4 000- 9 000 cm-1) of Opals and The Role of “Water” in these SiO2·nH2O Mineral[J]. Fortschrift Der Miner, 1974, 52:17–51

    Google Scholar 

  13. Saminpanya S, Sutherland F L. Silica Phase-Transformations During Diagenesis Within Petrified Woods Found in Fluvial Deposits from Thailand-Myanmar[J]. Sedimentary Geology, 2013,290: 15–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Wise J R, Kelt K. Inferred Diagenetic History of a Weakly Silicified Deep Sea Chalk[J]. Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions, 1972, 22: 177–203

    Google Scholar 

  15. Flörke O W, Jones J B, Segnit E R. Opal-CT Crystals[J]. Neues Jahrbuch fur Mineralogie Monatshefte, 1975,8: 369–377

    Google Scholar 

  16. Brown L D, Ray A S, Thomas P S. 29Si and 27Al NMR Study of Amorphous and Paracrystallin Opals from Australia[J]. Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 2003, 332(1-3): 242–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Dai Z, Tran T T, Jorgen S. Aluminum Incorporation in the C-S-H Phase of White Portland Cement-Metakaolin Blends Studied by 27Al and 29Si MAS NMR Spectroscopy[J]. Journal of the American Ceramic Socirty, 2014, 97(8): 2662–2671

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Hu C G, Hu S G, Ding Q J, et al. Effect of Curing Regime on Degree of Al3+ Substituting for Si4+ in C-S-H Gels of Hardened Portland Cement Pastes[J]. Journal of Wuhan University of Technology-Mater. Sci. Ed., 2014, 29(3): 546–522

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Gross A F, Le V H, Kirsch B L, et al. Correlations between Silica Chemistry and Structural Changes in Hydrothermally Treated Hexagonal Silica/Surfactant Composites Examined by in situ X-ray Diffraction[J]. Chem. Mater., 2001,13(10): 3571–3579

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Graetsch H, Gies H, Topalovic I. NMR, XRD and IR Study on Microcrystalline Opals[J]. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, 1994, 21(3): 166–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Hinman N W, Kotler J M. Aluminum in Silica Phases Formed in Hot Springs[J]. Procedia Earth and Planetary Science, 2013, 7: 365–368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Fritsch E, Gaillou E, Rondeau B, et al. The Nanostructure of Fire Opal[J]. Journal of Non-crystalline Solids, 2006, 352(38-39): 3957–3960

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Wang C L, Zheng S L, Liu G H, et al. Preparation of Wollastonite Coated with Nano-aluminium Silicate and Its Application in Filling PA6[J]. Surface Review and Letters, 2010, 17: 265–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Sun Z M, Zheng L M, Zheng S L, et al. Preparation and Characterization of TiO2/acid Leached Serpentinite Tailings Composites and Their Photocatalytic Reduction of Chromium(VI) [J]. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2013, 8(404): 102–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Baasner A, Schmidt B C, Webb R L. Fluorine Speciation as a Function of Composition in Peralkaline and Peraluminous Na2O-Glasses: A Multinuclear NMR Study[J]. Geochimica et Cosmoclumica Acta, 2014, 132: 151–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Maruyama I, Nishioka Y, Matsui G K. Microstructural and Bulk Property Changes in Hardened Cement Paste During the First Drying Process[J]. Cement and Concrete Research, 2014, 58: 20–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Gwenn L S, Mohsen B H H, Frank W, et al. Hydration Degree of Alkali-activated Slags: A 29Si NMR Study[J]. The American Ceramic Society, 2011, 94: 4541–4547

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Ma H N, Wang B M, Zhao L, et al. Preparation and Properties of PMMA Modifi ed Silica Aerogels from Diatomite[J]. Journal of Wuhan University of Technology-Mater. Sci. Ed., 2014. 29(5): 877–884

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Wang L J, Zhao S Y. Synthesis and Characteristics of Mesoporous Silica Aerogels with One-step Solvent Exchange/Surface Modification[J]. J. Wuhan University of Technology -Mater. Sci. Ed., 2009, 24(4): 613–618

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Shi F, Wang L J, Liu J X. Synthesis and Characterization of Silica Aerogels by a Novel Fast Ambient Pressure Drying Process[J]. Mater. Lett., 2006, 60(29-30): 3718–3722

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Dressler M, Nofz M, Malz F, et al. Aluminum Speciation and Thermal Evolution of Aluminas Resulting from Modified Yoldas Sols[J]. Journal of Solid State Chemistry, 2007, 9(180): 2409–2419

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Jessica M E, Stephen B R. Tem and X-ray Diffraction Evidence for Cristobalite and Tridymite Stacking Sequences in Opal[J]. Clays and Clay Minerals, 1996, 4(44): 492–500

    Google Scholar 

  33. Francois B, Bittencourt R D, Robert M D, et al. Role of Aluminum in the Structure of Brazilian Opals[J]. Eurpean Journal of Mineralogy, 1990, 5(2): 611

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China

    Yuan Jia  (贾援), Baomin Wang  (王宝民) & Tingting Zhang  (张婷婷)

Authors
  1. Yuan Jia  (贾援)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Baomin Wang  (王宝民)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tingting Zhang  (张婷婷)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Baomin Wang  (王宝民) or Tingting Zhang  (张婷婷).

Additional information

Funded by the the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.51278086 and 51578108), the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University by Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (No.NCET-12-0084), China Petroleum Science and Technology Innovation Fund Research Project (No.2013D-5006-0606), Henan Open and Cooperation Project of Science and Technology (No.142106000023), Liaoning BaiQianWan Talents Program (No.2012921073) and Dalian Plan Projects of Science and Technology (No.2013A16GX113)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jia, Y., Wang, B. & Zhang, T. A comparative study of different amorphous and paracrystalline silica by NMR and SEM/EDS. J. Wuhan Univ. Technol.-Mat. Sci. Edit. 30, 900–907 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11595-015-1247-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11595-015-1247-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation