title: Evaluation of fine structure of tubular zeolite NaA membrane by FTIR-ATR and FIB-TEM.
abstract: A zeolite NaA (LTA) membrane supported by an alumina porous support tube for pervaporation (PV) dehydration of ethanol was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using a focused ion beam (FIB) thin-layer specimen preparation technique and by Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance method (FTIR-ATR) using a diamond prism as the waveguide. FIB-TEM clearly presented cross-section images up to about 15 microm depth from the membrane surface. FTIR-ATR monitored the Si-O asymmetric stretching vibration spectrum. The Si-O spectrum was compared with the TEM image and their relationships were discussed. By combining the two methods, we could study the thickness of surface LTA crystals, the grain boundary, the LTA/alumina interface structure and the crystallinity and density of materials inside of the alumina porous support. Consequently, fine structure changes of the LTA membrane corresponding to the hydrothermal synthesis condition could be sensitively detected.
authors.affiliation: Bussan Nanotech Research Institute Inc., Mitsui & Co. Ltd., Nanotech Park, 2-1 Koyadai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan. t-kyotani@xnri.com
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kyotani
authors.forename: Sonoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kakui
authors.forename: Takehito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shimotsuma
authors.forename: Soushi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000737:chemistry*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / Q000379:methods; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D016062:Porosity; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared / Q000379:methods; D017641:Zeolites / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D017641:Zeolites; D000535:Aluminum