Effect of properties of titanium sol in pure formamide on microstructure of TiO₂ materials

The preparation of the stable sols in formamide is the basis to obtain ordered porous ceramic materials by emulsion templating. The effects of the volume of water added into titanium sols r_w in formamide on the properties of them were researched, and the effects of the properties of them on the material microstructures of TiO₂ including pore size and specific surface area were investigated. The results show that particle sizes of the sols increase with increasing r_w and deposited time, and the viscosities increase with increasing r_w of the sols. The specific surface area of TiO₂ ceramics obtained from the sols is smaller while r_w is larger. The pore size of the ceramic is similar which is about 8 nanometer while r_w is changed. The research provides experimental foundation for controlling the microstructure of porous TiO₂ material.