A Detailed Study of Thermal, Hydrothermal, and Mechanical Stabilities of a Wide Range of Surfactant Assembled Mesoporous Silicas

The thermal, hydrothermal, and mechanical stabilities of a wide range of ordered mesoporous materials, in particular, the molecular sieves MCM-41, MCM-48, HMS, FSM-16, KIT-1, PCH, and SBA-15, have been studied in detail using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and nitrogen sorption. The thermal stability was found to be strongly related to the wall thickness and the silica precursor used during synthesis, and the following stability trend was observed: MCM-41 (fumed silica), MCM-48 (fumed silica), KIT-1 (colloid silica) > SBA-15 (TEOS) > FSM-16 (layered silicate), PCH (layered silicate) > MCM-41 (TEOS), MCM-48 (TEOS), HMS (TEOS). The hydrothermal stability is influenced by the wall thickness and the polymerization degree and decreases according to the following trend: KIT-1 > SBA-15 > MCM-48 (fumed silica and TEOS), PCH > FSM-16, MCM-41 (fumed silica and TEOS), HMS. The mechanical stability is little influenced by the nature of the mesoporous molecular sieves. All materials collapsed at a maximum pelletizing pressure of 450 MPa.