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Abstract

Despite the extent of research on preparation of mesoporous silica and their functional derivatives, the powder nature of the material as obtained from sol-gel synthesis have remained an issue for commercial usability. In addition to technological issues, restrictions in both handling and material recycling for further treatment or reuse also arise. Toward this end, amine-functionalized mesoporous silica powders (of MSU family) were coated on or melt blended with a polystyrene support matrix. Both surface coating and melt blends of the silica powder with polymer were successful in preparing composites with adsorption properties comparable to those of the native powder-form adsorbents, as determined from gold adsorption tests from simulated hydrometallurgical solutions.