Effect of surfactants on the morphology of titania microspheres prepared by internal gelation process

Internal gelation process was employed for preparation of 0.3–1 mm sized microspheres of titania for their application in ion exchange columns. The conventional internal gelation process was modified by adding surfactant and oil emulsion in the feed broth, which introduced large pores in the structure of the material. The effects of concentration of hydrochloric acid, titanium, surfactant and hexamethylenetetramine to titanium ratio in the feed broth and temperature of calcination on the surface characteristics of the final product were studied. The conditions of preparation were optimized to obtain physically stable porous microspheres suitable for various applications. The resultant material was characterized by pore size distribution, pore volume, thermogravimetry, X-ray diffraction and SEM analyses. Ion exchange behaviour of the material was then studied by pH titration.