Synthesis of nanocrystalline enstatite fiber via alkoxide sol-gel process

An alkoxide sol-gel route to precursors to transparent enstatite fibers is described. The fibrous gels were drawn from acetic acid-modified viscous solutions. The amount of acetic acid was found to be the crucial factor in the spinnability. Infrared studies indicated that the acetate anion behaved as a ligand and modified the molecular structure of the enstatite gel. The fibrous gel was amorphous after drying by X-ray, and began to convert to enstatite at temperature as low as similar to 600 degrees C. The enstatite fibers were nanocrystalline up to 1100 degrees C. At 1300 degrees C, transparent and dense enstatite fibers were produced, with the room temperature dielectric constants of around 5.2-5.8 (at 1 MHz).