DISPERSITY AND SIZE OF SILICA PARTICLES CONSTRUCTING THICK-FILMS PREPARED BY ELECTROPHORETIC SOL-GEL DEPOSITION

Thick silica films prepared on a stainless steel sheet by the electrophoretic sol-gel deposition in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as a surfactant were found to be an agglomerate of fine silica particles. The size and the dispersity of the silica particles on the sheet were dependent on the concentrations of both tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and SDS. The particle size increased with an increase in the content of SDS. Monodispersed particles were obtained at relatively low concentrations of TEOS, whereas bimodal particles were deposited at higher concentrations of TEOS.